■'%. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


.4 


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feb. 


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Latitude  Forty-one :   Longitude  Sixty-two.    Page  ITS, 


./^*-lilM 


THE  YAIs^vEE  MIDDY; 


OR, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A  NAVAL  OFFICER. 


gv  f  t0ra  tf  m  ^xtui  ^tMlun. 


BY 

OLIVER    OPTIC, 

AUTHOR  OF    "BICH  AXD  HOIBLE,"    "IN   SCHOOL   AXD   OUT,"    "WATCH  AKD   WAIT,' 

"THE   BOAT   CLUB,"    "ALL  ABOARD,"    "NOW   OR  NEVER,"    "TRY   AGAIN," 

"rOOR  AND    PROUD,"    "LITTLE   BT  LITTLE,"    "THE  RIVEKDALB 

6T0EY   BOOKS,"    "THE    SOLDIER  BOY,"     "THE   SAILOB 

BOY,"    "  THE  YOUNG  LIEUIENAJJT,"    ETC, 


BOSTON: 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD, 

BUCCESSOBS  TO   PHILLIPS,   SAIIFSOS  &  CO. 

1866. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

WILLIAM    T.    ADAMS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusett*. 


KLECTROTTPED    AT    THl 

Botton    Stereotype    Foundry, 
No.  4  Spring  L«no. 


TO 


EDWIN  FLEMING,  ESa., 


Tliis   Book 


IS  RESPECTFULLY   DEDICATED, 


BY    HI«    FRIEND 


WILLIAM    T.    ADAMS, 


602676 


PREFACE 


"The  Yankee  Middy"  is  a  sequel  to  '«The  Sailor  Boy," 
and  traces  the  career  of  Jack  Somers,  as  an  officer,  from  the  Naval 
Academy  to  his  promotion  to  the  rank  of  ensign.  The  hero  is 
not  an  ideal  being  ;  he  has  hundreds  of  prototypes  in  our  gallant 
navy.  He  is  brave,  but  no  braver  than  thousands  of  others,  who 
have  lived  to  see  the  Great  Rebellion  crushed  out  by  their  devoted 
efforts ;  he  is  true  to  God  and  himself,  but  he  is  only  what  hun- 
dreds of  others  have  been  who  have  passed  through  the  fiery 
ordeal  of  temptation,  and  have  come  forth  unscathed. 

The  incidents  of  the  story  are  those  which  have  occurred  on  the 
ocean,  and  on  the  bays,  inlets,  and  rivers  of  the  South,  common 
in  the  experience  of  all  our  naval  officers  who  have  been  actively 
employed  during  the  war.  As  in  its  predecessors,  so  far  as  the 
work  is  historical,  the  best  authorities  have  been  consulted.  The 
author  is  again  indebted  to  his  friend,  Ensign  Francis  L.  Harris, 
not  only  for  verbal  details,  but  for  the  use  of  charts,  diagrams, 
and  works  relating  to  the  navy.  The  text  books  of  the  Naval 
Academy  have  been  constantly  at  hand  during  the  preparation  of 
the  volume. 

Again  we  submit  Jack  Somers — or  rather  Mr.  Midshipman 
Somers  —  to  our  readers,  young  and  old.     We  have  intended  to 

(5) 


6  PREFACE. 

make  him  a  noble  and  Christian  young  man  :  and  we  have  left  hi« 
daily  life  to  teach  the  lesson  of  Christian  fidelity  and  patriotism, 
without  any  attempt  to  enforce  the  moral  by  interweaving  an 
occasional  page  of  dry  •'  deductions,"  which  are  very  likely  to  be 
omitted  in  the  reading.  If  the  moral  cannot  readily  be  seen,  it  is 
not  worth  looking  for. 

The  author,  drer  grateful  for  the  kindness  of  his  readers,  sub- 
mits the  fourth  volume  of  "The  Armt  and  Navy  Series,"  with 
the  hope  that  it  will  be  fo\ind  worthy  of  the  favor  which  has  been 
bestowed  upon  its  predecessors. 

-WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 

Hakbisox  Sqttase,  ItlAss.,  October  23,  1865. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAFTIB 


PAOS 


I.    Mrs.  Commodore  Portingtok  and  Partt.       .      .      .11 

II.     A  MiDSHIPMAK  IN  HIS  ELEMENT 22 

III.  Mr,  Midshipman  Somers 34 

IV.  Somers  attends  an  Evening  Party 46 

V.    Somers  goes  on  Night  Duty 58 

YI.    Somers  listens  to  an  interesting  Conversation.    .  69 

VII.    Somers  sent  upon  active  Service 82 

VIII.    On  Board  the  Theban 95 

IX.    The  Man  %vith  the  Thin  Face I07 

X.    The  United  States  Schooner  Rosalie 119 

XI.    Mr.  Midshipman  Tubbs 131 

.  XII.    Somers  in  Darkness 143 

XIII.  Mr.  Tubes  becomes  bloodt-minded 154 

XIV.  Latitude  Forty-one,  Longitude  Sixty-two.  .      .      .  164 
XV.    The  Snowden  and  her  Commander 174 

XVI.  Mr.  Tubes  comes  to  Grief 185 

XVII.  The  Rosalie  in  Doboy  Sound 196 

XVIII.  In  the  Fog  and  Darkness 206 

XIX.  The  First  Cutter  in  Trouble 217 

XX.  Somers  keeps  his  Ears  wide  open  again.      .      .      .227 

XXI.  Somers  under  Guard 236 

(7) 


8  COXTEXTS. 

XXII.     SOMERS  MEETS  WITH  AN  ACCIDENT 246 

XXIII.  A  Shot  froji  the  Rosalie ^6 

XXIV.  In  the  Cabin  of  the  Viola 266 

XXV.    The  Coukt-Maktial  and  its  Sentence 277 

XXVI.    The  Rebel  Cotton-Clad 287 

XXVII.  An  Enterprise  which  ends  in  an  Explosion.  .      .  297 

XXVIII.    The  Last  of  Phil  Kennedy 306 

XXIX.    SoMERS  in  Command 317 

XXX.    Miss  Kate  Portington 324 


THE   YANKEE   MIDDY 


(9) 


THE    YANKEE    MIDDY; 


OR, 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A    NAVAL   OFFICER. 


CHAPTER    I 


MRS.   COMMODORE   PORTINGTOX   AND   PARTY. 


ANAGE  the  boat !     Why,  my  dear  madam, 

you  forget  that  I  served  five  years  in  the 

United  States  navy,  and  that  I  know  every 

rope  in  the  ship,"  said  Mr.  Philip  Kennedy, 

steadying  himself  with  the  boat-hook  he  held  in  his  hand. 

"  I  know  you  are  a  good  sailor,  but  —  "     And  Mrs. 

Portington  did  not  seem  to  be  inclined  to  give  further 

expression  to  the  thought  which  was  in  her  mind. 

There  had  been  a  very  pleasant  party  at  the  old  fort 
on  the  Dumpling  Rocks.  It  was  a  picnic,  and  the  com- 
pany had  enjoyed  themselves  to  the  full  extent  that  a 
sea-breeze  in  August,  with  choice  eatables  and  cool 
drinkables,  can  produce  enjoyment.  Mrs.  Commodore 
Portington  and  her  fair  daughter  Kate  were  of  the  party, 

(11) 


12  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

and  had  attended  under  the  escort  of  Mr.  Philip  Ken- 
nedy. An  engagement  in  the  evening  obhged  the  lady 
and  her  daughter  to  return  to  Newport  in  advance  of  the 
rest  of  the  company.  She  had  come  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  where  the  gentleman  had  hauled  up  the 
boat  in  readiness  for  her  to  embark. 

The  lady  seemed  to  be  perplexed  with  a  serious  doubt ; 
for  though  her  husband  was  a  commodore  in  the  navy, 
she  had  a  womanly  respect  for  salt  water,  especially,  as 
in  the  present  instance,  when  the  wind  and  the  waves 
were  coquetting  violently  with  each  other,  thereby  wak- 
ing up  the  sleepy  tide,  and  creating  a  pretty  heavy 
in-shore  sea.  The  lady  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the 
waves  that  beat  upon  the  ragged  rocks.  They  were 
suggestive  of  wet  dresses,  and,  more  remotely,  of  an 
involuntary  bath,  and  still  more  remotely,  of  a  commis- 
sion to  a  fashionable  undertaker. 

The  craft  was  a  Avell  and  strongly  built  Newport  boat, 
with  a  single  sail,  worn  on  a  cat-rig  —  the  best  in  the 
world  for  rapid  movements.  Mrs.  Portington  was  the 
wife  of  a  sailor,  and  knew  a  safe  and  weatherly  boat 
when  she  saw  one.  It  was  by  no  means  dangerous 
weather ;  it  did  not  yet  blow  even  half  a  gale  ;  it  was 
only  a  jolly  fresh  breeze.  Still,  she  was  perplexed  with 
a  doubt,  and  the  longer  she  gazed  upon  the  gentleman 
in  charge  of  the  boat,  the  larger  and  more  formidable 
became  the  doubt.  ^^  RS« 

^^     Ncu 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  13 

If  the  picnic  had  been  conducted  on  purely  temperance 
principles,  it  is  quite  probable  that  the  lady  would  not 
have  been  disturbed  by  a  single  doubt ;  for  certainly  it 
would  not  have  been  consistent  for  the  wife  of  a  commo- 
dore to  be  afraid  of  a  fresh  breeze  and  a  sloppy  sea. 
We  are  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  say  that  a  certain  exhila- 
rating fluid,  wrung  from  the  grapes  on  the  plains  of 
France,  or  from  the  apples  on  the  plains  of  New  Jersey, 
—  we  meddle  not  with  intricate  questions,  —  had  been 
freely  circulated  among  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  com- 
posing the  party.  At  the  same  time  we  are  happy  to 
add,  that  most  of  those  who  imbibed  used  their  worldly 
discretion  to  a  degree  which  saved  them  from  scandal. 
Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  was  not  of  this  number.  He  boasted 
that  he  had  "  punished  "  an  entire  bottle  of  the  sparkling 
beverage  ;  and  action  and  re-action  being  equal,  as  well 
in  tippling  as  in  mechanics,  the  bottle  aforesaid,  in  its 
turn,  was  "  punishing"  him ;  and  so  far  as  the  observa- 
tion of  the  lady  was  concerned,  the  bottle  was  decidedly 
having  the  best  of  it. 

Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  could  stand  up,  and  could  talk 
even  more  glibly  than  usual.  The  boat-hook  in  his  hand 
was  a  convenience  in  preserving  his  equilibrium ;  but  he 
was  impatient  to  be  in  his  seat  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the 
boat.  It  was  awkward  to  be  obliged  to  stand  up  on  the 
sharp  rocks  for  an  unreasonably  long  time.  The  rocks 
were  slippery,  and  exhibited  an  inclination  to  fly  up  and 
2 


14  THE    YANKEE  MIDDT,    OR 

hit  him  in  the  forehead,  though  thus  far  they  had  be- 
haved tolerably  well. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  quite  safe  to  go  now,"  said  Mrs. 
Portington,  after  she  had  observed  the  young  gentlemaa 
for  a  moment  in  silence. 

"  Safe  ?  Why,  Mrs.  Portington,  you  will  be  as  safe 
in  this  boat,  with  me  at  the  helm,  as  though  you  were 
at  home  in  your  own  parlor.  I  pledge  you  my  honor,  as 
a  gentleman  and  a  sailor,  that  I  will  land  you  safe  on 
the  end  of  Long  Wharf  in  just  twenty-five  minutes  from 
the  present  moment." 

"  I'm  afraid  you  can't  manage  the  boat,"  added  the 
lady. 

"  Really,  my  dear  madam,  a  reflection  upon  a  sailor's 
seamanship  would  be  an  insult  if  it  came  from  any  other 
person  than  a  lady,"  replied  Mr.  Kennedy,  throwing  up 
his  head,  with  a  display  of  dignity. 

"  I  know  you  are  a  good  sailor,  Phil,  —  but  —  " 

*'  But  what,  my  dear  madam  ?  If  you  know  I  am  a 
good  sailor,  allow  me  to  assist  you  into  the  boat ;  "  and 
he  extended  his  hand  to  assist  the  lady  in  embarking. 

"  I  am  afraid  to  go  with  him,"  said  Mrs.  Portington, 
in  a  whisper,  to  her  daughter. 

"  What  are  you  afraid  of,  mother  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  see  in  what  a  condition  he  is  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  that  anything  ails  him,"  replied  Kate, 
whose  knowledge  of   gentlemen  in  that  condition  was 


THE    ADVEXTURES    OF    A    SAVaL    OFFICER.  15 

happily  very  limited.     "  He  is  well  enough,  and  I'm  sure 
I'm  not  afraid  to  go  with  him." 

"He  has  drank  too  much  champagne,  child.     Don't 
you  see  that  he  can  hardly  stand  up  ?  " 

"  Let  him  get  into  the  boat  and  sit  down,  then,"  added 
she,  laughing  merrily  at  the  idea. 

"  Come,  Mrs.  Portington,  let  me  help  you  into  the 
boat." 

"  I  am  afraid  to  go  with  you,  Phil." 
"  What  are  you  afraid  of,  allow  me  to  inquire?"  de- 
manded the  gentleman,  with  a  maudlin  expression  on  his 
countenance,  which,  being  interpreted,  meant  that  he  was 
hurt  by  the  lady's  doubts,  and  by  her  want  of  confidence 
in  his  skill  as  a  boatman. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  can't  manage  the  boat  as  well  as 
usual,  to-day." 

"  Why  not  to-day,  madam  ?  " 

"  Because  you  have  drank  too  much  champagne,  Phil," 
said  she,  breaking  the  force  of  the  harsh  judgment  by 
accompanying  it  with  a  merry  laugh. 

"  Too  much  champagne  !  'Pon  my  word,  madam,  you 
wrong  me  ;  you  strike  me  in  a  very  tender  place.  My 
capacity  is  two  bottles  ;  and  I  assure  you,  on  the  word 
and  honor  of  a  gentleman  and  a  sailor,  that  I  have 
drank  but  one  bottle." 

"  Then  it  was  the  sea  breeze ;  for  you  certainly  are 
not  in  your  usual  sound  and  healthy  condition." 


16  THE    YASKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  madam ;  but  do  you  mean  to 
insinuate  that  I  am  intoxicated?"  demanded  he,  with 
another  unsteady  display  of  native  dignity. 

"O,  dear,  no,  Phil !  nothing  of  the  kind  —  only  that 
you  have  drank  too  much  champagne,"  laughed  the  lady. 

"  Excuse  me,  madam,  but  I  can't  help  saying  that  I 
am  very  much  injured  in  my  feelings  by  this  unjust 
reflection." 

''  There,  mother,  you  are  making  a  mess  of  it,"  inter- 
posed Kate.  "  Phil  is  well  enough.  I  don't  see  that 
anything  ails  him." 

*'  Blessings  on  your  sweet  face,  and  sweeter  words, 
Kate.  You  do  me  justice ;  and  nothing  more  than 
justice.  Your  judgment  is  cool  and  unbiassed,"  added 
Phil,  wdth  enthusiasm. 

"  It  ought  to  be,  for  I  never  drink  champagne,"  re- 
plied the  spirited  girl,  as,  without  any  assistance  from 
Phil,  she  leaped  into  the  boat,  and  seated  herself  on  a 
thwart  amidships. 

"  You  are  a  darling,  Kate,  and  you  shall  be, the  figure- 
head of  my  ship  as  soon  as  I  get  one." 

"  I  will  thank  you  to  be  a  little  less  familiar  in  your 
remarks,  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy." 

"  Par.don  me,  Kate  ;  it  was  but  a  momentary  enthusi- 
asm which  prompted  me  to  use  the  unseemly  word." 

'*  If  you  ever  call  me  '  darling,'  I  ^vill  never  speak  to 
you  again,  if  I  should  live  to  be  two  hundred  years  old. 


THE    ADVEXTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  17 

Come,  mother,  we  shall  not  get  home  any  too  soon  if  we 
start  at  ouce." 

Mrs.  Portington  was  still  in  doubt ;  but  the  words  and 
the  example  of  her  daugliter  were  not  without  their 
iufluence.  She  stepped  into  the  boat  no  better  satisfied 
than  before,  but  with  the  hope  that  good  fortune,  rather 
than  judgment  and  skill,  would  enable  Kate  and  herself 
to  reach  the  opposite  shore  in  safety.  She  felt  that  she 
was  tempting  calamity  to  choose  her  for  its  victim ;  but 
Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  would  make  himself  intensely  dis- 
agreeable, if  he  did  not  actually  create  a  tempest,  in  the 
event  of  her  refusal  to  accompany  him.  She  disliked  a 
scene,  and  against  her  better  judgment  she  intrusted  her 
life,  and  the  more  precious  life  of  her  daughter,  in  the 
keeping  of  an  intoxicated  man. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  wind  had  come 
round  to  the  north-east,  with  the  prospect  of  a  storm.  It 
was  coming  fresher  and  fresher  every  moment,  and  the 
longer  the  passage  was  delayed,  the  rougher  it  would  be. 
Mr.  Philip  Kennedy,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  was 
a  good  boatman,  and  the  boat  got  off  into  deep  water 
without  incident  or  accident.  As  she  had  to  round  the 
northern  point  of  Goat  Island,  it  was  necessary  to  beat 
dead  to  windward.  The  gentlemanly  skipper  laid  her 
course  mechanically  rather  than  with  good  judgment, 
and  the  weatherly  little  craft  behaved  herself  exceed- 
ingly well  for  a  time. 
2* 


18  THE    YASKEE   MLDDY,    OR 

*'  We  are  doing  very  well,  mother,"  said  Kate,  when 
they  had  made  half  a  mile  on  their  course. 

*'Yery  weU  indeed,  Kate.  Perhaps  my  fears  were 
groundless,"  replied  Mrs.  Portington  ;  though  it  was  evi- 
dent, from  the  troubled  expression  on  her  face,  that  she 
was  ill  at  ease. 

"  There  is  not  the  slightest  danger,  I  assure  you,  mad- 
am," added  Phil.  ''  I  am  troubled  about  the  groundless 
charge  you  have  made  against  me.  If  there  is  anything, 
madam,  which  is  vile  and  despicable  in  a  gentleman,  it 
is  intoxication  —  a  condition,  my  dear  madam,  to  which 
I  have  never  been  reduced.  What  will  Commodore 
Portington  say,  what  will  my  excellent  foster-father  say, 
when  such  an  accusation  is  fastened  upon  me  ?  " 

"I  don't  propose  to  mention  the  matter,  of  course," 
replied  Mrs.  Portington.  "  Indeed,  it  was  a  mistake  on 
my  part,  and  I  am  sorry  I  uttered  a  word." 

"Thank  you,  madam.  You  are  very  kind  to  ac- 
knowledge your  error,  and  you  remove  a  heavy  load 
from  my  mind  by  your  considerate  words.  Madam,  if  I 
could  so  far  forget  myself  as  to  get  intoxicated  while 
taking  charge  of  ladies,  and  especially  of  Mrs.  Porting- 
ton and  her  lovely  daughter  —  " 

*'  That  will  do  in  that  direction,  Phil,"  interposed  Kate. 

"If  I  had  been  guilty  of  such  an  impropriety,  I 
could  never  forgive  myself.  I  would  jump  overboard  and 
drown  myself  the  moment  I  realized  the  degrading  fact.** 


THE   ADVEXTURKS    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  19 

"  That  is  all  very  pretty,  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy,  but  I 
will  thank  you  to  mind  your  helm,"  said  Kate,  as  the 
boat  fell  off  a  little,  and,  under  the  impulse  of  a  fresh 
gust  of  Avind,  careened  till  she  took  in  a  small  quantity 
of  water  over  her  lee-rail. 

"I'm  all  attention.  Miss  Kate.  It  is  very  rough  out 
here  in  the  channel;  but  I  pledge  you  my  word  and 
honor,  there  is  not  a  particle  of  danger,"  replied  the 
boatman. 

"  I  am  not  afraid,  if  you  will  only  mind  your  helm." 

"I  am  all  attention,  Kate ;  "  and  the  young  man 
glanced  ahead  at  the  white-capped  waves  which  dashed 
against  the  bows  of  the  boat. 

Mrs.  Portington  watched  him,  and  watched  the  course 
|f  the  boat  with  deep  interest  and  anxiety.  The  con- 
dition of  the  tipsy  boatman  did  not  improve  as  the 
danger  increased.  He  seemed  to  become  more  unsteady 
in  his  movements,  and  to  pay  less  attention  to  the  helm. 
She  found  it  necessary  to  caution  him  frequently ;  and 
Kate  declared  if  he  did  not  keep  a  steadier  hand  at  the 
helm  she  should  steer  herself. 

"  It's  very  rough  out  here  in  the  channel,"  repeated 
he,  when  the  boat  was  off  Fort  Adams,  distant  about  a 
mile.  M 

"Very  rough  indeed,  Phil,  and  you  cannot  be  too 
careful." 

*'  No  man  can  be  more  careful  in  a  boat  than  I  am," 


20  TEE    YAXKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

protested  he.  "  I  intended  to  go  to  the  northward  of  Goat 
Island,  ladies,  but  I  think  I  will  go  to  the  southward, 
where  she  will  be  in  smoother  water,  under  the  lee  oi 
the  land." 

As  he  spoke,  he  let  out  the  sheet  and  put  the  helm  up, 
taking  the  wind  abeam.  The  ladies  scrambled  hastily 
up  to  the  weather  side,  for  Phil  had  not  let  out  the 
sheet  far  enough  to  permit  the  boat  to  go  easily  on  her 
new  course. 

"  You  will  certainly  upset  us,  Phil,"  said  Mrs.  Porting- 
ton,  now  actually  alarmed  by  the  uncertain  movements 
of  the  boat. 

"  'Pon  my  word  and  honor,  as  a  gentleman  and  a  sail- 
or, I  will  not !  "  exclaimed  Phil,  as  he  unfastened  the 
sheet,  and  eased  it  off  a  little.  "  She  is  doing  splendidly, 
madam ;  and  I  assure  you  again  there  is  not  a  particle  of 
danger." 

Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  attempted  to  look  easy,  confident, 
and  unconcerned.  He  was  trying  with  all  his  might  to 
disguise  or  conceal  certain  movements  of  his  own,  which 
he  was  conscious  were  not  entirely  regular.  The  last 
bumper  of  champagne  he  had  taken  seemed  now  to  be 
struggling  for  expression  in  his  words  and  actions.  His 
estimate  of  lengths  and  distancesjfwas  very  uncertain  ; 
and  when  he  intended  to  move  the  tiller  a  very  little,  he 
threw  the  boat  up  into  the  Avind,  or  put  her  before  it. 

Now,  when  he  unfastened  the  sheet,  —  which,  by  tho 


THE    ADVEyTURES    UF    A     y'AVAL    U  FEW  Ell.  iJl 

way,  ought  not  to  have  beca  fa8tened  at  all,  in  such  a 
gusty  ^viud  as  that,  —  one  of  his  miscalculations  of  dis' 
tauce  caused  him  to  lose  his  grasp  upon  the  rope.  He 
thought  he  had  hold  of  it,  when  it  was  a  foot  from  his 
hand  ;  consequently,  he  missed  his  grasp,  and  the  strong 
breeze  acting  on  the  sail  jerked  it  out  of  his  reach.  Of 
course  the  sail  flapped  violently,  and  the  long  boom  beat 
the  water  in  the  most  savage  manner.  To  the  ladies  it 
looked  very  much  like  a  desperate  situation,  especially 
as  the  boat,  having  lost  the  steadying  influence  of  the 
sail,  began  to  roll  heavily  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  Still 
there  was  no  particular  danger,  as  long  as  the  little  craft 
was  skilfully  handled. 

Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  saw  that  his  reputation  for  sobri- 
ety and  seamanship  was  in  imminent  peril,  and  his  first 
impulse  was  to  save  the  bubble  from  a  premature  explo- 
sion. Unfortunately  for  him  and  the  bubble,  his  judg- 
ment, impaired  by  the  fumes  of  the  champagne,  was 
not  sharpened  by  the  emergency  ;  and  instead  of  putting 
the  helm  down,  and  allowing  the  wind  to  carry  the  boom 
aft,  he  leaped  from  his  place  in  the  stern,  and  sprang 
forward  to  grasp  the  refractory  spar.  The  boat  was 
very  unsteady  under  him,  and  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  was 
very  unsteady  over  i1^;  and  as  he  stepped  upon  the  gun- 
wale to  catch  the  boom,  a  heavy  roll  pitched  him  into 
the  water,  and  he  disappeared  from  the  view  of  the 
anxious  ladies. 


22  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    II. 

A    MIDSHIPMAN    IN    HIS    ELEMENT. 

HILE  the  scene  described  in  the  preceding 
chapter  was  taking  place,  a  boat,  similar  in 
size  and  rig  to  that  occupied  by  Mr.  Philip 
Kennedy  and  party,  put  out  from  the  pier  at  Fort  Adams. 
It  contained  but  two  persons,  one  of  whom  was  the  boat- 
man, and  the  other  a  young  man  dressed  in  the  uniform 
of  a  midshipman  of  the  United  States  navy.  As  the  man 
in  charge  of  this  boat  had  drank  no  champagne,  or  other 
exhilarating  fluid,  he  handled  his  craft  with  skill  and 
good  judgment. 

The  young  gentleman  with  the  four  anchors  on  his 
coat  collar  had  been  sent  down  to  deliver  an  important 
messasfe  to  the  officer  in  command  at  the  fort,  and 
having  discharged  this  duty,  he  was  now  on  his  return 
to  the  Naval  Academy.  Though  he  was  a  midshipman, 
he  had  a  conscience,  and  did  no#propose  to  waste  a 
single  moment  of  his  time  in  skylarking  about  the  bay  ; 
and  therefore  he  requested  the  boatman  to  make  his  best 
time  back  to   the  landing-place  at  Newport.     The  boat 


THE    ADVESTl'liKS    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  23 

made  one  short  tack  out  into  the  channel  to  get  an  offing  ; 
but  when  she  was  ready  to  come  about,  the  doubtful 
movements  of  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy's  boat  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  midshipman. 

"  There's  some  lubber  in  that  boat ;  he  don't  know 
how  to  handle  her,"  said  the  boatman. 

"  That's  plain  enough  ;  and  that's  a  pretty  heavy  sea  out 
there  for  a  fellow  who  don't  know  how  to  manage  his  craft. 
She  has  two  ladies  aboard,"  added  the  midshipman. 

"  Scared  half  out  of  their  wits,  no  doubt." 

"  I  don't  blame  them  much.  The  boat  yaws  about  as 
though  she  were  half  full  of  water." 

"Shall  I  come  about?"  asked  the  boatman,  mindful 
of  the  injunction  which  had  been  put  upon  him  to  lose  no 
time. 

"  No,  not  just  yet.  I'm  afraid  there  will  be  trouble 
out  there,  and  the  ladies  may  want  some  assistance." 

"  Just  my  sentiments  exactly  ;  and  if  you  say  so,  I'll 
stand  on  towards  the  boat." 

"Do  so,  if  you  please.  We  can  go  to  the  northward 
of  the  light  without  losing  much  time." 

"  Just  as  you  say,  sir." 

"  Do  you  know  the  people  in  that  boat?  " 

"  Can't  make  'em  out  yet ;  but  I  know  the  boat,  and 
there  isn't  a  better  one  in  the  bay  when  she  is  well 
handled,"  replied  the  boatman,  taking  a  careful  survey 
of  the  craft,  as  she  labored  in  the  heavy  sea. 


24  THE    TAXKEK    Ml  DDT,    OR 

"  He  has  changed  her  course ;  he  is  going  to  the 
southward  of  the  island.  The  lubber  will  swamp  her  !  " 
exclaimed  the  midshipman,  now  much  excited  by  the 
perilous  situation  of  the  little  craft. 

"  That  he  will.  There,  now  he  has  eased  off  the 
sheet,  and  she  is  all  right  again." 

By  this  time  the  tAvo  boats  were  near  enough  to  enable 
the  boatman  to  see  the  faces  of  the  parties  in  the  other 
craft. 

''  I  know  who  they  are,"  said  he,  still  gazing  at  the 
ladies. 

"TVTio  are  they?" 

"That's  Mrs.  Portington  and  her  daughter.  There 
has  been  a  picnic  over  to  the  old  fort,  and  they  are  just 
coming  home." 

*'  But  who  is  the  man  in  charge  of  her?  " 

"  That's  the  fellow  they  call  Phil  Kennedy.  They  say 
he  is  courting  the  commodore's  daughter ;  but  I  don't 
know  anything  about  that.  She  is  a  desperate  smart 
girl,  and  I  reckon  she  is  too  good  for  such  a  fellow  as 
he  is." 

'^  Well,  he  is  no  boatman,  whatever  else  he  may  be," 
added  the  midshipman,  with  emphasis. 

"  Xo,  but  he  ought  to  be,  if  he  isn't.  He's  a  passed 
midshipman  in  the  navy  ;  that  is  to  say,  he  was  a  passed 
midshipman,  and  resigned  when  the  war  broke  out." 

"  O,  he  is  a  secesh  —  is  he  ?  " 


THE    ADVEy TURKS    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  25 

"  They  say  not ;  somebody  told  mo  lie  resigned  be- 
cause they  promoted  some  other  fellow  over  his  head." 

'*  He  was  no  great  loss  to  the  navy,  if  he  can't  handle 
a  boat  any  better  than  that." 

*'  I  reckon  you're  more'n  half  right,"  said  the  boat- 
man, laughing,  as  he  watched  the  erratic  movements  of 
the  craft. 

*'  I  don't  exactly  see  how  a  man  so  loyal  and  true  as 
Commodore  Portington  should  permit  an  officer  Mho  re- 
signed at  the  beginning  of  the  war  to  hang  round  his 
daughter,"  continued  the  midshipman,  musing  on  what 
seemed  to  him  to  be  a  very  obvious  inconsistency. 

"  There's  a  reason  for  that ;  and  it  so  happens  that  I 
know  all  about  it.  I  took  him  and  another  young  buck 
down  to  Burnett's  Cove  the  other  day,  and  I  heard  him 
tell  the  whole  story." 

"  I'm  afraid  he  will  swamp  the  boat  and  duck  the 
ladies,  before  you  can  finish  it." 

"  I'm  afraid  he  will ;  but  the  story  is  a  short  one. 
Commodore  Portington,  you  know,  is  a  Maryland  man. 
His  father,  old  General  Portington,  is  living  now,  and  is 
worth  a  mint  of  money  —  the  young  chap  says  hard  ou 
to  half  a  million.  I  don't  kaow  nothing  about  that, 
of  course.  The  commodore's  mother  died  some  years 
ago,  and  the  old  general  married  a  young  widow  by 
the  name  of  Kennedy  —  in  fact,  this  young  chap's 
mother." 


26  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Is  the  old  general,  the  commodore's  father,  a  loyal 
man  now?"  asked  the  midshipman. 

"  Well,  as  near  as  I  could  make  it  out  from  what  this 
young  chap  said,  the  old  fellow  don't  care  a  straw  which 
side  wins,  so  long  as  they  don't  take  his  money  away 
from  him." 

"  He  is  no  such  man  as  his  son  then  ?  " 

"  That's  a  fact ;  the  commodore  goes  in  all  over  for 
the  old  flag." 

"Go  on  with  your  story,  if  there  is  any  more  of  it." 

"  The  old  general  took  a  liking  to  his  young  wife's  son, 
and  treated  him  as  if  he  had  been  his  own.  He  got  him 
into  the  navy,  and  it  was  generally  understood  that  he 
intended  to  divide  his  money  equally  between  young 
Kennedy  and  his  granddaughter,  Kate." 

"  He  is  a  lucky  fellow  then,"  said  the  midshipman. 

"  Perhaps  he  would  have  been,  if  he  had  behaved  him- 
self well.  The  young  chap  owned  up  that  he  had  been 
going  it  too  fast,  and  rather  got  the  old  general's  back  up 
against  him.  Then,  when  he  gave  up  his  situation  in 
the  navy,  the  old  fellow  was  as  mad  as  Tophet,  and  said 
right  up  and  down,  that  he  wouldn't  give  him  a  six- 
pence." 

"  Then  he  has  fooled  away  his  chances." 

"  "Well,  he  is  kind  of  making  it  up  with  the  old  man 
now.  That's  about  all  I  heard  the  young  chap  say  ;  but 
I  kind  of  guessed  at  the  rest  of  it.     I  reckon  the  young 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  27 

buck  means  to  marry  one  half  of  the  old  general's 
fortune,  in  case  the  other  half  should  slip  through  his 
fingers." 

The  midshipman  appeared  to  be  deeply  interested  in 
the  recital  of  Mr.  Philip  Kennedy's  antecedents  and 
prospects  ;  but  it  was  simply  as  a  story,  for  he  had  no 
acquaintance  with  any  of  the  persons  mentioned,  except 
that  he  knew  Commodore  Portington  as  a  brave  and 
loyal  man,  who  had  stood  by  the  flag  of  his  country 
without  wavering,  and  without  the  shadow  of  turning, 
though  he  had  many  southern  connections  who  were 
identified  with  the  rebellion.  But  the  interest  of  the 
story  did  not  permit  the  midshipman  to  withdraw  his 
gaze  from  the  imperilled  boat  even  for  a  single  instant. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  narrative  the  two  boats  were 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  each  other,  and  the  counte- 
nances of  the  ladies  could  be  distinctly  seen. 

*'  There  !  "  shouted  the  boatman,  jumping  up  in  his 
seat,  "  the  lubber  has  let  go  his  sheet !  " 

''  Put  your  helm  down  !  "  cried  the  midshipman,  as  he 
saw  the  gentleman  leap  out  of  his  seat,  and  run  forward 
to  secure  the  truant  rope. 

But  his  voice  was  not  heard  above  the  dashing  of  the 
waves  ;  and  probably  it  would  not  have  been  heeded  if 
it  had  been  heard. 

"  Steady  !  "  shouted  the  boatman  again,  as  the  neg- 
lected craft   heeled   over  to  leeward.     "  Steady,  or  you 


'2S  THE    YAXKEE  MIDDY,    OH 

will  swamp  her !  "  be    repeated,  highly  excited  by  the 
dangerous  situation  of  the  boat  and  her  fair  passengers. 

Scarcely  were  the  words  uttered,  when  Mr.  Philip 
Kennedy  made  his  unfortunate  misstep,  and  went  over 
the  side,  disappearing  beneath  the  angry  waves. 

"  He  is  overboard,  as  sure  as  fate  I "  exclaimed  the 
midshipman. 

Mrs.  Portington  uttered  a  faint  scream  of  terror  as 
she  saw  the  young  man  go  down,  and  realized  that  she 
and  her  daughter  were  then  at  the  mercy  of  the  stormy 
waves,  which  were  every  moment  increasing  in  fury. 

'^  Port  your  helm  a  little,  and  run  for  the  boat  I  "  said 
the  midshipman,  in  tones  so  full  of  energy  and  determi- 
nation that  the  boatman  did  not  venture  to  disregard  his 
words. 

"  Will  you  let  the  poor  fellow  drown?  "  said  he. 

"  No  ;  run  down  under  the  stern  of  that  boat,  and  I 
will  jump  on  board  of  her.  You  can  save  the  man,  and 
I  will  take  charge  of  the  boat  with  the  ladies." 

*'  All  right,"  replied  the  boatman,  deeply  impressed  by 
the  vigor  and  energy  of  his  young  companion,  and  with 
a  feeling  that  he  was  born  to  command. 

The  boat  in  which  the  ladies  were  seated,  unsteadied 
by  the  sail,  was  rolling  violently  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea  —  so  violently  that  at  each  motion  she  took  in  a  large 
quantity  of  water.  It  was  fully  evident  to  the  boatman 
and  his  passenger,  that,  without  innnediate  assistance,  she 


oil'  the  Dumpling:  Kucks.     Page  29. 


THE    ADVEXTURES    OF   A    XAFAL    OFFICER.  29 

M'oiiM  be  swamped,  and  perhaps  the  worst  fears  of  the 
mother  realizecj. 

"  Now,  steady  as  she  is,"  said  the  energetic  midship- 
man, as  he  placed  himself  in  the  bow  of  the  boat. 

In  another  instant  —  for  the  boat  darted  like  a  rocket  — 
she  was  within  six  feet  of  the  other  craft. 

"  Up  with  your  helm  ! "  shouted  the  midshipman,  as 
he  gathered  up  his  light  and  agile  form,  and  sprang 
towards  the  stern-sheets  of  the  storm-tossed  bark. 

It  was  a  long  leap  to  make  from  one  unsteady  object 
to  another ;  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  leaper  had  well 
nigh  played  him  as  ugly  a  trick  as  the  champagne  had 
played  upon  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy.  But  he  had  his  wits 
about  him,  which  the  other  had  not,  and  when  he 
realized  that  he  had  made  a  miscalculation,  he  did  the 
next  best  thing ;  that  is,  when  his  feet  failed  him,  he 
used  his  hands.  He  succeeded  in  grasping  the  rail  of 
the  boat,  and  though  he  was  subjected  to  the  discomfort 
of  a  complete  ducking,  his  efficiency  was  not  thereby 
diminished.  He  held  on  with  his  hands  till  the  boat 
careened  on  the  opposite  side,  and  then,  with  surprising 
agility,  scrambled  over  the  rail  into  the  boat. 

The  midshipman  did  not  even  stop  to  shake  himself, 
but  turned  his  attention  at  once  to  the  safety  of  the  boat. 
Seizing  an  oar,  he  heaved  the  boat's  head  up  into  the 
wind,  which  brought  the  boom  in-board,  and  enabled 
him  to  recover  the  stray  sheet.  With  this  rope  at  com- 
3* 


30  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

mand,  the  boat  was  soon  brought  under  perfect  control. 
Having  performed  this  work  of  necessity,  he  directed  his 
thoughts  to  the  man  who  had  fallen  overboard.  It  was 
his  purpose  to  go  about  and  assist  in  the  rescue  of  the 
unfortunate  tippler  ;  but  the  boat  had  shipped  so  much 
water  that  she  was  in  no  condition  for  such  a  service. 

*'  Phil  will  be  drowned  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Portington, 
when  she  saw  that  her  own  safety  and  that  of  her 
daughter  were  provided  for. 

"  I  hope  not,  madam,"  replied  the  midshipman.  "  This 
boat  has  so  much  water  in  her  that  it  would  be  hardly 
safe  to  go  about. 

*'  The  boatman  has  got  hold  of  him,  and  is  pulling 
him  out  of  the  water,"  said  Kate,  with  breathless  eager- 
ness.    "  He  is  safe,  mother." 

*'  Thank  Heaven,"  gasped  the  lady.  ''  If  we  only  get 
ashore,  I  will  never  trust  myself  in  one  of  these  boats 
again." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  ladies,  but  where  do  you  wish  to 
land  ?  "  asked  the  polite  midshipman. 

"  Anywhere !  Anywhere,  if  you  will  only  put  me 
on  the  dry  land  again,"  replied"  Mrs.  Portington,  with 
emphasis. 

"  That  shall  be  done  very  s'oon,  madam,  if  you  will 
tell  me  where  you  ^4sh  to  go  on  shore." 

"  I  don't  care  where,  if  I  only  get  on  the  land  once 
more." 


THE    ADVKXTUIiES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  31 

"  I  believe  I  have  the  honor  of  addressing  Mrs.  Com- 
modore PortingtoD,"  continued  the  young  officer,  as  he 
touclied  his  cap.  "  And  I  presume  you  wish  to  land  in 
the  vicinity  of  Long  Wharf." 

"  I  am  Mrs.  Portington,  and  you  may  land  me  any- 
where you  please.  I  am  very  grateful  to  you,  young 
gentleman,  for  what  you  have  done,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  your  gallant  conduct." 

"  I  thank  you,  madam,  for  your  kind  words,  though  I 
assure  you  I  could  not  possibly  have  done  any  less.  If 
you  please,  Mrs.  Portington,  I  will  bale  out  the  boat,  and 
then  you  will  be  more  comfortable." 

"  What  a  nice  young  man  ! "  said  Kate,  as  she  took 
the  place  assigned  to  her  by  the  new  skipper,  who  pro- 
ceeded to  bale  out  the  boat  with  one  hand,  while  he  held 
both  the  helm  and  the  sheet  with  the  other. 

The  young  inau  blushed  up  to  his  eyes  as  he  listened 
to  this  gay  remark  from  one  who  had  so  recently  been  in 
extreme  peril.  He  could  not  determine  what  she  meant ; 
whether  the  words  were  intended  as  a  compliment,  or 
whether  she  was  making  fun  of  him.  He  cast  a  single 
furtive  glance  at  her,  but  without  solving  the  question. 
Though  he  did  not  solve  that  question,  he  did  solve 
another,  —  one  of  no  little  importance  to  foolish  young 
men,  passing  put  of  their  teens, — that  Miss  Kate  Por- 
tington was  a  very  pretty  girl.  Perhaps  this  fact  had 
something   to  do  with  the  deep  blush  that  mantled  his 


32  THU    YAXKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

cheek,  as  the  novelists  say  ;  for  it  is  hard  to  be  made  the 
sport  of  any  young  lady,  and  doubly  hard  if  she  happens 
to  be  pretty. 

*'  I  said  you  were  a  nice  young  man,"  repeated  Kate, 
apparently  enjoying  the  confusion  of  the  gallant  fellow  ; 
"  and  you  are  as  speechless  as  an  infant  rhinoceros." 

'"  1  was  paralyzed  by  the  remark." 

"  Don't  you  think  you  are  a  nice  young  man  ?  "  per- 
sisted the  fair  tormentor. 

"  Really,  Miss  Portington,  I  have  given  the  question 
so  little  consideration  that  I  am  not  prepared  to  give  a 
definite  answer,"  replied  the  midshipman,  rallying  under 
the  eftect  of  what  seemed  to  be  the  young  lady's  sarcasm. 

"May  I  ask  you  to  give  the  subject  an  earnest  and 
patient  examination,  with  the  favor  of  a  definite  reply 
within  three  weeks  ?  " 

"  I  will  endeavor  to  comply  with  so  reasonable  a 
demand." 

**  Thank  you.  I  dare  say  you  have  been  reading  some 
vile,  yellow-covered  novel." 

"  Indeed,  I  have  not.  I  have  no  time  to  squander  as 
you  suggest." 

"  Then  you  must  be  a  natural  born  hero.  Xo  doubt 
you  have  been  longing  for  years  for  an  opportunity  to 
rescue  some  forlorn  damsel  from  a  wat^gy  grave,  or  a 
fiery  furnace.  Your  patience  has  at  last  been  rewarded, 
and  I  am  the  victim." 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  33 

"  "WTiat  an  ungrateful  girl  you  are,  Kate  !  I'm  ashamed 
of  you  ! "  exclaimed  the  mother. 

"  Isu't  it  ridiculous  that  I  should  become  the  heroine 
of  a  stupid  melo-drama  like  this !  Pray,  sir,  may  I 
ask  your  name  ?  '* 

"  John  Somers,  at  your  service,"  promptly  replied  the 
midshipman. 


34  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    III 


MR.    MIDSHIPMAN   SOMERS. 


€ 


'^HE  name  and  fame  of  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers 
had  gone  before  him,  for  both  Mrs.  Portington 
and  her  daughter  had  heard  of  the  distinguished 
young  gentleman.  His  gallant  conduct  on  the  southern 
coast,  and  the  exploits  of  which  he  was  the  hero,  had 
been  duly  reported  at  Newport.  He  had  been  examined 
by  the  board  of  medical  officers  and  by  the  Academic 
Board,  and  was  not  only  pronounced  physically  fit  to 
serve  his  country  in  the  navy,  but  had  been  admitted  to 
the  second  class  in  the  institution. 

It  is  true  some  wise  and  prudent  people  said  that  his 
admission  was  not  altogether  regular  ;  but  it  was  certain 
that  he  was  admitted  entirely  on  his  own  merits,  what- 
ever influence  might  have  been  used  in  breaking  through 
arbitrary  forms,  that  were  invaluable  in  piping  times  of 
peace,  but  which  the  exigencies  of  the  times  could  very 
properly  vary.  But  we  do  not  intend  to  discuss  the  "  red 
tape  "  items  in  the  career  of  our  hero  ;  and  we  can  only 
say  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Naval  Academy,  in 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  35 

high  standing  in  his  class,  and  in  excellent  repute  with 
the  officers  and  professors  of  the  institution.  We  im- 
agine his  admission  was  no  more  irregular  than  the 
departure  of  the  two  upper  classes  when  their  services 
were  needed  in  the  active  duties  of  their  chosen  profes- 
sion. It  was  said  that  Commander  Bankhead  had  more 
influence  in  Washington  than  some  officers  of  equal  rank  ; 
and  this  devoted  and  patriotic  man  was  Somers's  warm 
friend. 

Our  midshipman  had  studied  with  a  zeal  which  was 
worthy  of  success.  Before  he  entered  the  institution  he 
had  improved  every  moment  of  time,  and  even  the 
greater  portion  of  his  thirty  days'  furlough  had  been 
spent  in  the  solitude  of  his  chamber  over  navigation, 
gunnery,  and  general  mathematics.  He  had  graduated 
with  honor  in  the  High  School  of  Pinchbrook,  and 
was  therefore  in  condition  to  take  advance  rank  in 
the  Academy,  after  he  had  added  to  his  early  attain- 
ments the  results  of  six  months'  earnest  and  devoted 
study. 

Somers  had  not  been  satisfied  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  institution,  but  had  used  his  spare  hours  to 
promote  the  great  object  of  his  present  existence.  His 
constitution  was  strong  and  his  health  vigorous,  so  that 
he  did  not  break  down  under  this  pressure  ;  and  the 
result  was  evident  to  his  teachers,  though  they  were  not 
clearly  aware  of  the  means  by  which  he  made  such  trc- 


86  :rt5»    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

inendous  progress  in  his  studies.  At  the  June  examina- 
tion he  had  not  a  single  demerit  recorded  against  him, 
and  his  "general  merit  roll"  placed  him  near  the  head 
of  the  class.  He  was  trusted  and  respected,  not  only  for 
what  he  had  done,  but  for  what  he  was. 

When  Somers  entered  the  institution  he  was  an  able 
seaman,  and  had  an  excellent  practical  knowledge  of 
gunnery  and  working  a  ship.  While  his  classmates  were 
studying  and  practising  what  he  was  competent  to  teach, 
Somers  devoted  himself  to  branches  of  study  in  which 
he  had  made  less  progress.  Our  young  readers,  there- 
fore, must  not  suppose  that  he  got  his  "learning"  by 
instinct,  for  he  obtained  his  position  only  by  the  severest 
labor  and  the  most  self-denying  sacrifices.  He  knew 
nothing  of  the  gay  festivities  of  the  brilliant  wateringr: 
place  in  which  he  resided,  and  did  not  even  witness  the 
dissipation  which  abounds  in  that  luxurious  society  dur- 
ing the  fashionable  season.  His  only  visitor  during  the 
summer  was  Lieutenant  Waldron,  of  the  navy,  whom  he 
had  saved  from  being  washed  overboard  during  a  gale, 
on  his  passage  home  from  Key  West.  This  gentleman 
was  fully  alive  to  the  merit  of  our  midshipman,  and 
freely  expressed  his  desire  to  have  hii|fc  with  him  in  the 
Rosalie,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed. 

And  now,  having  informed  our  readers  who  and  what 
the  midshipman  was,  we  will  return  to  the  boat  where 
we  left  him  with  the  ladies. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  37 

*'  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Porting- 
ton,  when  the  young  gentleman  had  given  his  name  ;  "  I 
have  heard  of  you  before." 

''  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  !  "  repeated  Kate.  "  / 
have  heard  of  you  before ;  and  you  must  know  that  I 
re"-ard  it  as  a  very  distinguished  honor  to  be  rescued 
from  a  watery  gi-ave  by  such  a  remarkable  prodigy  as 
Mr.  Midshipman  Somers." 

"  Don't  you  be  so  saucy,  Kate,"  remonstrated  her 
mother. 

"  I  am  not  saucy,  mother ;  my  heart  overflows  with 
gratitude  to  the  distinguished  young  gentleman  for  the 
signal  service  he  has  rendered  us,"  replied  Kate,  with  a 
merry  laugh. 

The  boat  was  now  under  the  lee  of  Goat  Island, 
where  the  water  was  comparatively  smooth,  and  the  con- 
fidence of  both  the  ladies  was  completely  restored.  The 
other  boat,  with  Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  as  a  passenger, 
was  about  half  a  mile  astern  of  her.  Somers  had  baled 
out  the  water,  and  taken  a  reef  in  the  sail.  Miss  Kate 
was  comfortable,  and  could  afford  to  be  saucy.  She  was 
an  enigma  to  the  midshipman.  It  was  not  possible,  after 
the  good  service'  he  had  rendered  to  her  and  to  her 
mother,  that  the  young  lady  intended  to  ridicule  him. 
It  was  her  humor ;  and  as  she  was  very  beautiful,  she 
could  afford  to  say  and  do  almost  anything,  which 
w^ould  have  been  fatal  to  a  less  favored  damsel. 
4 


38  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

• 

"  You  arc  positively  impudent,  Kate,"  added  her 
mother. 

'^  On  the  contrary,  my  dear  mother,  I  am  using  the 
strongest  language  I  can  find  to  express  my  admiration 
of  the  gentleman's  gallant  conduct,  and  my  high  appre- 
ciation of  his  efficient  service  to  you  and  me." 

"  Spare  me.  Miss  Portington,"  said  Somers,  with  a 
blush  and  a  smile. 

"  I  will  not  spare  you  ;  you  deserve  praise,  an(J  praise 
you  shall  have,  to  the  farthest  verge  of  my  capacity  to 
commend  you.  I  have  heard  my  father  say  that  you 
rescued  Commander  Bankhead  from  a  watery  grave." 

"  I  beg  you  will  not  say  watery  grave  again,"  replied 
Somers.  ''  I  am  afraid  you  have  been  reading  novels, 
Miss  Portington." 

"  I  was  only  trying  to  speak  a  language  which  you 
can  understand.  The  only  thing  that  vexes  me  is,  that 
I  should  become  one  of  your  heroines  —  the  victim  of 
your  insane  desire  to  make  a  knight-errant  of  yourself. 
Pray,  did  you  ever  read  Don  Quixote  ?  " 

"  I  never  did." 

"  Read  it,  by  all  means,  at  the  first  opportunity." 

"I  am  afraid  I  have  mortally  offended  you.  Miss 
Portington,"  added  Somers. 

"Not  mortally,  only  seriously.  You  knight-errants 
use  provokingly  strong  language." 

"  I  propose  — 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL     OFFICER.  39 

"  Dou't  do  it  yet,  young  man.  Even  Don  Quixote 
would  not  have  been  so  hasty." 

"  Pray  hear  me  out." 

"  I  could  not  possibly  listen  to  anything  of  that  kind 
now,"  laughed  the  merry  girl. 

''  I  was  only  going  to  propose  —  " 

'*  Don't  do  it,  Mr.  Somers.     Spare  me,  if  you  please." 

"  I  was  only  going  to  offer  to  correct  the  mistake  I 
have  made." 

''  What  mistake,  Mr.  Somers  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  save  you  —  in  your 
own  choice  language  —  from  a  watery  grave.  It  now 
appears  that  this  was  a  grievous  blunder  on  my  part." 

"  Exactly  so  ;  you  are  infinitely  more  sensible  than  I 
supposed  a  prodigy  could  be." 

"•  I  propose  to  correct  my  mistake." 

''  Do,  by  all  means.  You  will  impose  upon  me  a  debt 
of  gratitude  which  will  last  me  the  rest  of  my  life- 
time —  " 

^'And  which  would  soon  be  cancelled,  then,  if  you 
were  left  to  your  own  efforts  in  the  heavy  sea  off  the 
Dumplings." 

••'  Really,  that  is  quite  smart." 

"  With  your  leave,  I  will  endeavor  to  remedy  the  mis- 
chief I  have  done.  Afler  landing  Mrs.  Portington,  I 
propose  to  return  to  the  channel,  and  leave  you  exactly 
as  I  found  you." 


40  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Excellent  idea.  I  will  bo  your  friend  for  life, 
then." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kind  consideration,  —  though 
our  friendship  would  be  short  and  sweet,  like  angels* 
visits." 

"  Positively,  you  are  gi'owing  brilliant,  in  spite  of 
your  wet  jacket.  But,  seriously,  Mr.  Somers,  don't  you 
think  I  am  to  be  pitied  ?  " 

"  I  do.  I  sympathize  with  you  from  the  depths  of  my 
heart." 

"  Here  I  am,  an  unfortunate  maiden  of  seventeen, 
who,  without  any  fault  of  my  own,  and  without  the 
indulgence  of  a  single  sickly  sentiment  such  as  you  find 
embodied  in  the  novels,  have  been  subjected  to  the  peril 
of  being  drowned.  Just  at  this  moment,  one  of  these 
little  monkeys  of  midshipmen  appears  upon  the  stage, 
and  saves  me  from  my  impending  fate !  Don't  you 
think  it  is  superlatively  ridiculous  ?  " 

"  Certainly  it  is  ;  and  I  cannot  express  how  deeply  I 
regret  my  agen(:;y  in  the  affair.  Had  I  known  your  sen- 
timents, it  is  possible  that  I  might  have  saved  your 
mother,  without  meddling  with  you." 

"  Kate,  I  will  not  listen  to  this  impudence  any  longer," 
said  Mrs.  Portington. 

"  Excuse  me,  madam,  but  I  assure  you  I  enjoy  it  as 
much  as  she  does,"  added  Somers. 

*'  You  are  determined  to  make  yourself  ridiculous,  in 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  41 

spite  of  all  my  exertions  to  save  you  from  your  own 
folly,"  continued  Kate ;  and  this  time,  for  some  reason 
which  Ave  cannot  explain,  there  was  a  blush  upon  her 
cheek. 

"She  does  not  mean  what  she  says,"  added  Mrs. 
Portington.  "  She  is  really  as  grateful  to  you  as  I  am  ; 
and  I  feel  that  I  owe  my  life  and  hers  to  your  gallant 
conduct." 

"  I  should  think  you  had  been  reading  novels,  too, 
mother.  Of  course  I  am  grateful  to  Mr.  Somers  for 
wetting  his  jacket  in  my  behalf.  He  has  my  thanks,  and 
I  shall  ask  father  to  make  an  admiral  of  him  as  soon  as 
he  comes  back  from  New  York." 

"  Thank  you.  Miss  Portington ;  and  for  your  sake  I 
should  probably  accept  the  situation,  if  it  were  offered  to 
me." 

"  For  my  sake  !  You  are  almost  as  impudent  as  our 
last  boatman.  Do  you  expect  me  to  twine  a  chaplet 
for  your  lofty  brow,  Mr.  Somers,  and,  like  the  her- 
oines of  romance,  blush  whenever  your  name  is  men- 
tioned?" 

"  I  should  certainly  wear  the  chaplet  if  your  fair 
hands  twined  it ;  and  it  would  afford  me  inexpressible 
pleasure  to  learn  that  you  blushed  at  the  mention  of  my 
name." 

"  You  are  more  impudent  than  Phil  Kennedy." 

"  I  haven't  the  pleasure  of  Mr.  Kennedy's  accquaint- 
4* 


42  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

auce ;  but  I  believe  I  am  indebted  to  him  for  the  honor 
of  this  unexpected  interview." 

"  The  same  accident  that  removed  me  from  his  pro- 
tection placed  me  under  yours.  I  did  not  submit  to  his 
impudence,  and  I  shall  not  to  yours.  I  am  your  victim  ; 
but  I  beg  you  will  use  your  advantage  as  mildly  as 
possible." 

"  I  will.  "We  are  approaching  the  wharf;  and  as  it  is 
not  probable  that  we  shall  ever  meet  again,  permit  me  to 
say  that  the  pleasure  of  my  brief  acquaintance  with  you 
amply  compensates  for  the  discomfort  of  a  wet  jacket." 

"  Dear  me !  I  declare  you  are  a  philosopher  as  well 
as  a  prodigy." 

"  So  my  shipmates  used  to  call  me,  which  exhibits  a 
remarkable  unanimity  of  opinion  between  you  and 
them." 

"  What  tremendous  long  words  you  use,  Mr.  Somers  ! " 

"  They  are  all  in  the  dictionary,  Miss  Portington,  and 
all  authorized  by  the  best  usage." 

"  Doubtless  they  are.  I  will  look  them  out  when  I 
get  home.  If  I  remember  rightly,  you  just  now  ob- 
served that  we  were  about  to  part  to  meet  no  more,  in 
the  language  of  the  sentimental  songsters." 

"  Probably  ;  by  accident,  possibly." 

"  I  protest  against  any  such  conclusion,  Mr.  Somers," 
interposed  Mrs.  Portington.  "  I  hope  to  meet  you 
often,  and  to  have  an  opportunity  to  express  over  and 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  43 

over  again  my  gratitude  to  you  for  the  kind  service  you 
have  rendered.'* 

"  Mother  has  been  reading  novels,  I  declare  !  Well, 
it  is  perfectly  safe  for  her;  she  isn't  'just  seven- 
teen.' " 

"Now,  Kate,  if  you  don't  join  me  in  inviting  Mr. 
Somers  to  spend  the  evening  at  our  house,  I  shall  be 
offended  with  you." 

"  Certainly,  I  will  join  you,  mother.  Mr.  Somers, 
let  not  the  hero  and  heroine  of  this  ecstatic  adventure  be 
thus  rudely  sundered.  Let  not  the  cloud  come  between 
them  on  the  very  threshold  of  their  acquaintance.  Let 
not  the  dews  of  a  genial  friendship  —  " 

"  Take  care  the  boom,  Miss  Portington,"  said  Somers, 
as  the  boat  rounded  in  at  the  landing-place. 

"  A  plague  upon  the  boom  !  You  spoil  a  very  flow- 
ery sentence,  Mr.  Somers." 

"Pardon  me,  but  I  had  to  luff  up,  or  stave  the  boat 
against  the  wharf." 

The  midshipman  passed  the  painter  through  a  ring, 
and  secured  the  boat  at  the  wharf.  The  sail  was  low- 
ered, and  the  eventful  voyage  was  ended  ;  but  the  ladies 
preferred  to  remain  in  their  seats  till  the  arrival  of  the 
other  boat  with  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy.  In  spite  of  the 
remarkable  nature  of  the  conversation,  the  young  mid- 
shipman had  enjoyed  it  to  the  utmost,  and  even  forgot 
the  discomforts  of  his  wet  clothing?.     In  his  estimation 


44  THE    TAXKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

Miss  Kate  Portington  was  positively  fascinating ;  and  he 
regretted  that  the  cruise  should  so  soon  be  finished. 

As  they  sat  in  the  boat,  Mrs.  Portington  tried  in  vain 
to  have  a  little  serious  conversation  with  her  deliverer ; 
but  Kate's  sarcasms  spoiled  her  good  intentions.  The 
conversation  of  the  latter  continued  to  be  laden  with 
merry  impudence  till  the  other  boat  touched  the  wharf, 
when  Somers  assisted  INIrs.  Portington  to  land.  Kate, 
without  waiting  for  any  help,  leaped  lightly  upon  the 
wharf. 

"  After  serious  reflection,  Mr.  Somers,"  said  she,  as 
he  stepped  on  the  wharf,  "  I  think  we  had  better  not 
part  to  meet  no  more,  for  in  spite  of  your  absurdities,  I 
rather  like  you.  Here  is  my  hand,  Mr.  Somers.  You 
will  call  and  see  us  —  won't  you  ?  " 

Somers  took  the  offered  hand,  and  felt  a  slight  tempta- 
tion to  be  silly.  The  fair  girl  was  sincere  and  sensible 
now  ;  and  as  he  pressed  the  little  gloved  hand,  he  ex- 
perienced an  emotion  which  was  new  to  him,  but 
decidedly  pleasant  to  remember. 

"  You  must  excuse  me.  Miss  Portington,  but  I  am  so 
constantly  employed  that  I  find  no  time  to  go  into  com- 
pany," replied  Somers. 

"  Then  you  are  angry  with  me  because  I  have  talked 
so  lightly  of  the  service  you  rendered  me  ?  " 

"Far  from  it.  I  have  enjoyed  your  conversation 
more  than  I  can  describe." 


THE  ADVENTUIiES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  45 

*'  Tlien  you  will  call  at  our  house.  If  you  do  not,  I 
shall  believe  you  are  offended,  and  shall  never  forgive 
myself  for  my  idle  words.'* 

"  I  am  not  offended.  It  would  be  impossible  for  me 
to  be  offended  with  one  —  no  matter ;  I  will  not  say  it. 
You  would  accuse  me  of  stealing  the  rest  of  the  sen- 
tence from  a  novel." 

*'  Promise  that  you  will  call,  then." 

*'  I  will  do  so,  if  possible." 

"  I  will  content  myself  with  that,  for  I  know  it  wiU  be 
possible.     Here  is  Phil." 

The  lady  very  gracefully  introduced  Mr.  Phil  Ken- 
nedy and  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers.  The  former  had 
completely  recovered  from  the  effect  of  his  indiscretion, 
furnishing  another  proof  that  cold  water  is  the  best 
antidote  for  the  malady  with  which  he  had  been  afflicted. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  I  am  happy  to  make  your  acquaint- 
ance," said  Phil,  as  he  grasped  the  young  man's  hand. 
''You  are  a  brave  fellow,  and  I  shall  cultivate  your 
friendship,  if  you  will  permit  me  ;  "  and  he  proceeded  to 
give,  in  minute  detail,  the  particulars  of  the  accident 
which  had  thrown  him  into  the  water,  though  he  did 
not  even  remotely  allude  to  the  champagne  which  had 
been  at  the  bottom  of  the  mischief. 

The  party  then  separated,  and  Somers  hastened  up  to 
the  Academy  to  report  on  his  mission  to  Fort  Adams. 


46  TEE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    IV. 

SOMERS   ATTENDS   AN   EVENING   PARTY. 

ASS  the  word  for  Mr.  Somers,"  said  the  captain 
of  the  crew  to  which  that  young  gentleman  be- 
longed, at  the  close  of  the  recitation  in  the  after- 
noon of  a  day  about   a  week  after  the  events 
detailed  in  the  last  chapter. 
Mr.  Somers  presented  himself. 

"You  will  report  to  the  commandant  forthwith," 
added  the  captain  of  the  crew. 

Somers  repaired  at  once  to  the  office  of  the  com- 
mandant, much  wondering  for  what  he  could  be  wanted 
there.  This  was  the  way  in  which  delinquents  were 
sometimes  summoned  for  reprimand,  and  he  tried  to 
think  what  wicked  thing  he  had  done  for  which  he  could 
be  called  to  the  bar  of  the  august  executive  of  the  institu- 
tion. He  had  not  failed  in  his  studies  ;  he  had  not  been 
late  at  any  muster  ;  he  had  not  staid  out  after  hours, 
and  he  had  not  broken  a  leave  of  absence.  He  was  not 
conscious  of  being  guilty  of  any  real  or  constructive 
enormity,  and  he  therefore  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
he  was  to  be  detailed  for  some  special  duty. 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  47 

Into  the  presence  of  the  mighty  man  of  the  Academy 
he  Avent,  with  some  doubts  but  no  fears,  for  a  clear  con- 
science is  the  best  assurance  which  a  young  man  can 
have  in  the  hour  of  trial.  There  was  an  expression  on 
the  face  of  the  commandant  which  he  could  not  under- 
stand, as  he  removed  his  cap,  and  reported  himself,  as 
he  had  been  ordered.  There  was  an  appearance  of 
severity,  but  there  was  something  else  which  modified  it, 
and  Somers  could  not  tell  whether  he  ought  to  expect  a 
reprimand,  or  an  order  for  special  duty. 

"Mr.  Somers,"  began  the  commandant,  "your  con- 
duct has  been  so  uniformly  exemplary,  that  I  am  very 
much  surprised  to  find  you  under  censure  at  the  present 
time." 

"  Under  censure  !  "  exclaimed  Somers,  his  face  turning 
as  red  as  a  blood  beet.  "  I  was  not  aware,  sir,  that  I 
had  transgressed  any  rule  of  the  institution.  If  I  have, 
I  am  very  sorry  for  it." 

"  You  have,  sir,"  replied  the  commandant ;  but  there 
was  something  which  looked  very  much  like  a  smile  on 
his  fine  countenance. 

"  I  was  not  conscious  of  it,  sir." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  I  must  hold  you  responsible,  never- 
theless, and  compel  you  to  make  all  the  reparation  in 
your  power." 

"  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  inform  me  what  rule  I 
have  disregarded?"    asked    Somers,  encouraged  by  the 


48  THB   YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

smile  that  still  lurked  about  the  mouth  of  the  executive 
officer. 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Somers.  That  rule  vvhich  requires 
the  naval  cadets  to  conduct  themselves  according  to  the 
rules  of  politeness  and  good-breeding  in  all  their  rela- 
tions with  their  fellow-beings,  outside  as  well  as  inside 
of  the  institution." 

"  Really,  sir,  I  was  not  conscious  that  I  had  been 
wanting  in  this  respect  in  any  duty  I  owe  to  my  feUow- 
beings." 

"You  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mrs.  Commodore 
Portington  and  her  daughter  under  rather  remarkable 
circumstances ;  and  you  partially  promised  to  call  upon 
the  family.  You  have  not  done  so,  though  a  week  has 
elapsed  since  the  event." 

"  I  have  not  yet  abandoned  the  intention  of  calling 
upon  the  family." 

"But  your  delay  looks  very  much  as  though  you 
intended  to  disregard  the  invitation.  Mr.  Somers,  mid- 
shipmen cannot  afford  to  slight  the  invitation  of  a  com- 
modore's lady." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  slight  it." 

"  I  suppose  not.  If  it  had  been  any  other  gentleman 
in  the  institution,  I  should  have  been  applied  to  for  leave 
of  absence  six  times  within  that  week.  Why  have  you 
not  been,  Mr.  Somers  ?  " 

"  I  wished   to  go  very  much  indeed ;    nothing    could 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  49 

have  afforded  me  more  pleasure  tlian  to  accept  the 
invitation.'* 

"Then,  why  under  the  sun  didn't  you  go?  You 
■were  sure  of  your  leave  of  absence,  for  you  have  never 
asked  a  favor  since  you  have  been  here." 

"  I  am  not  exactly  on  an  equality  with  the  commo- 
dore's lady  and  daughter,  and  I  concluded  that  my  going 
to  see  them  would  look  very  much  like  an  intention  on 
my  part  to  remind  them  of  the  trifling  service  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  render  them.'* 

'•'  Somers,  you  are  too  modest  by  half;  and  you  wrong 
the  people  of  whom  you  speak.  Now,  I  happen  to 
know  that  the  young  lady  is  much  grieved  at  your  non- 
appearance, and  fully  believes  that  she  has  deeply  offend- 
ed you." 

"  That  is  far  from  the  truth." 

"  I  don't  think  we  have  any  young  gentlemen  who  can 
afford  to  be  offended  with  the  commodore's  daughter. 
She  is  a  little  wild,  and  is  sometimes  rather  erratic  in  her 
ways,  but  she  is  pure  gold.  I  think  you  have  uot  done 
quite  right,  and  I  feel  compelled  to  give  you  leave  m 
absence  till  ten  this  evening,  with  orders  to  report  at 
Commodore  Portington's  house." 

The  playful  manner  of  the  commandant  assured  Som- 
ers that  his  disobedience  was  not  very  desperate,  and  he 
retired  to  put  himself  in  order  for  obeying  the  mandate. 
AVe  feel  compelled  to  add,  that  his  heart  was  all  in  a 
5 


50  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

flutter  at  the  prospect  of  speuding  an  evening  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  commodore's  beautiful  daughter.  He  dressed 
himself  with  the  most  extraordinary  care,  and  laid  every 
lock  of  his  fine  curly  hair  in  the  best  possible  position. 
We  cannot  say  that  he  looked  much  better  after  he  had 
"fussed"  for  half  an  hour,  than  when  he  began;  but 
Nature  had  done  so  much  for  Mr.  Midshipman  vSomers, 
that  it  was  hardly  necessary  to  improve  upon  her  handi- 
work. It  was  no  merit  of  his  that  he  was  .an  exceed- 
ingly good-looking  fellow. 

When  he  had  completed  his  toilet,  he  hastened  to  the 
residence  of  the  commodore.  The  distance  was  short — 
not  half  long  enough  to  enable  him  to  recover  his  self- 
possession,  of  which  sundry  queer  thoughts  had  completely 
deprived  him.  His  confusion  was  so  great,  that  when 
he  reached  the  house,  he  had  not  the  courage  to  ring  the 
bell.  Somers  w^as  still  a  boy,  and  as  bashful  as  a  school- 
girl. In  spite  of  himself,  he  walked  straight  past  the 
door,  stealing  only  a  hasty  glance  at  the  front  windows 
through  the  corner  of  his  eye.  He  walked  half  a  mile 
l^youd  the  house,  until  he  thought  he  had  brought  his 
courage  up  to  the  sticking  point,  when  he  ventured  to 
turn  around  and  retrace  his  steps. 

Again  he  reached  the  house,  and  again  the  tremen- 
dous idea  of  standing  in  the  presence  of  Miss  Kate  Por- 
tington  so  overawed  him,  that  he  passed  the  house  with 
a  speed  which  must  have  led  inquisitive  people  to  think 


TEE  ADVENTURES   OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER.  51 

lie  was  after  the  doctor  who  lived  a  few  squares  beyond. 
Somers  began  to  grow  desperate  ;  and  tlie  more  desperate 
he  became,  the  more  rapid  was  his  pace.  This  time  he 
actually  walked  dowoi  to  the  wharf  where  he  had  parted 
with  the  damsel  a  week  before.  The  remembrance  of 
her  raillery  almost  blanched  his  cheek ;  but  it  glowed 
again  when  he  recalled  the  kind  words  with  which  they 
had  parted,  and  the  eagerness  with  which  she  attempted 
to  extort  from  him  a  promise  to  call. 

Under  the  influence  of  this  last  reflection,  he  retraced 
his  steps  again  ;  but  Avhen  he  reached  the  door  of  the  fair 
one's  home,  his  courage  once  more  failed  him.  "  She 
will  call  me  a  prodigy,"  thought  he,  "  and  I  shall  sink 
through  the  floor."  It  was  true  he  had  given  some  smart 
answers  before,  but  he  might  not  be  able  to  do  so  again. 
lie  bolted  past  the  door  as  though  he  had  been  a  pro- 
jectile from  a  hundred  pounder  Parrott. 

"  What  a  fool  I  am ! "  said  he,  pettishly,  to  himself, 
after  he  had  galloped  off  about  a  mile.  I  will  either  go 
in  or  give  it  up  this  time.  I  haven't  any  more  pluck 
than  a  wooden  man.  Why  should  I  be  afraid  of  that 
girl's  ":ongue  ?  I  can  talk  as  big  as  she  can,  if  I  have  a 
mind  to  do  so  ;  and  I  will,  too." 

Thus  thinking,  and  thus  muttering  his  thoughts,  he 
came  about  as  squarely  as  though  he  had  been  on  pa- 
rade, and  darted  down  the  street  again. 

"  I  am  going  in  this  time,"   muttered   he,  as  he  ap- 


62  THE     YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

• 

proaclied  the  house.     "  I  will  charge  on  the  battery,  if 
I  die  for  it." 

Thus  musing,  he  increased  liis  pace ;  but  when  he 
reached  the  house,  a  stolen  glance  at  tlie  window  dis- 
closed to  him  the  fair  face  of  Kate.  He  looked  down 
upon  the  sidewalk,  doubled  his  speed,  and  passed  the 
house  for  the  fourth  time. 

"  Avast  there,  Somers  !  Where  bound  ?  "  said  a  famil- 
iar voice,  hailing  him  as  he  bolted  down  the  street 
towards  the  wharves.  "  I  thought  I  saw  you  leave  for 
Commodore  Portington's  an  hour  ago." 

"  You  did,  sir,"  candidly  replied  Somers,  with  a  hasty 
glance  at  the  quizzical  face  of  the  commandant  of  mid- 
shipmen, for  he  was  the  person  who  had  hailed  him. 

"  O,  you  have  been  there?" 

"  N — no,  sir.     I  haven't  been  there  yet." 

''  Indeed  !     Where  have  you  been  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  taking  a  little  walk." 

'*  I  should  think  you  had.  Why,  I  supposed,  from  your 
pace,  that  Miss  Kate  had  a  fit,  and  you  were  running  for 
the  doctor." 

"No,  sir,  I  haven't  been  there  yet.  Isn't  it  rather 
early,  sir?" 

"Early?  No.  They  expect  you,  and  will  wait  tea 
till  you  come." 

"  Expect  me?" 

"Certainly  they  do.     I  told  them  you  would  come,  and 


THE  ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  53 

you  have  been  ^vasting  a  whole  hour  of  the  most  vahia- 
ble  time  ever  allotted  to  mortal  man,"  laughed  the  com- 
mandant, for  he  ventured  to  smile  occasionally  ou  the 
favorite  of  the  Academy.  "  Come  with  me,  for  I  am 
bound  there." 

The  die  was  cast  now.  He  did  not  wish  to  abandon 
the  chase,  and  w^as  rather  pleased  to  find  his  "  want  of 
pluck"  had  not  defeated  his  good  intentions.  Wliile 
they  walk  up  the  hill  at  a  more  moderate  pace  than 
Somers  had  descended  it,  we  must  pause  to  rescue  our 
little  volume  from  the  imputation  of  being  a  love  story. 
We  solemnly  assure  our  readers,  old  and  young,  that  Mr. 
Midshipman  Somers  had  no  more  idea  of  falling  in  love 
than  he  had  of  falling  overboard.  He  Avas  a  youth  of 
eighteen,  and  of  course  there  w^as  no  room  in  his  head  or 
his  heart  for  such  a  silly  notion.  If  any  stronger  phe- 
nomena than  this  appear  to  the  experience  of  those  versed 
in  such  matters,  we  can  only  assure  them  that  they  were 
simply  "  strokes  of  nature."  A  school-boy  may  be  afraid 
of  the  pretty  girl  who  sits  at  the  desk  near  his  own,  with- 
out having  his  common  sense  impugned ;  and  we  pledge 
our  word  that  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers's  case  w^as  not  a 
whit  more  desperate. 

The  commandant  rang  the  bell  at  Commodore  Porting- 

ton's  house,  with  a  firmness  of  purpose  and  a  steadiness 

of  nerve  which  excited  the  envy  of  his  young  companion. 

He  would  have  given  his  prospect  of  prize-money  for  the 

5* 


54  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

next  year,  if  lie  could  have  jingled  that  bell  without  a 
trembling  of  the  limbs  and  a  sinking  of  the  heart.  The 
bell  had  been  rung,  and  the  Rubicon  was  passed.  They 
were  ushered  into  the  drawing-room,  where  quite  a  large 
party  were  seated. 

"  TThy,  Mr.  Somers,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  !  "  ex- 
claimed Kate  Portington,  rushing  up  to  him,  and  extend- 
ing her  hand,  which  Somers  had  the  courage  to  take, 
though  the  floor  beneath  seemed  for  a  moment  to  be 
composed  of  very  unsubstantial  material.  "  I  was  afraid 
you  intended  to  deprive  me  of  the  romantic  pleasure  of 
being  the  heroine  of  an  unwritten  novel.  I  am  delighted 
to  see  you." 

"  I  thank  you  ;  I  called  to  invite  you  to  sail  with  me 
on  the  first  stormy  day,  that  I  may*have  an  opportunity 
to  undo  the  mischief  done  the  other  day." 

"  I  will  not  go.  After  careful  reflection,  I  have  de- 
cided to  submit  to  the  destiny  in  store  for  me,  and  be  a 
willing  victim.  Being  rescued  by  a  prodigy  of  a  midship- 
man ought  to  reconcile  any  lady  to  such  a  fate." 

"  Well,  Miss  Portington,  whenever  you  are  disposed 
to  rebel  at  your  destiny,  I  will  cheerfully  aflTord  you  an 
opportunity  to  join  the  mermaids,  and  sport  in  the  cav- 
erns of  the  mighty  deep." 

"  How  poetical !  There  is  no  limit  to  your  attain- 
ments." 

■ 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  ;  there  is  at  least  one  limit." 


TBE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  55 

"Pray,  what  is  that?" 

"  To  look  unmoved  upon  one  so  fair,  so  witty,  and  so 
wise  as  Miss  Portington." 

"You  are  an  impudent  little  middy,  in  spite  of  all 
your  accomplishments." 

"I  am  afraid  impudence  is  contagious,"  laughed 
Somers. 

"  Worse  and  worse." 

By  this  time  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  had  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  rest  of  the  company.  He  had  found  his 
tongue  now,  and  having  faced  the  heaviest  battery  first, 
he  was  prepared  for  any  other  that  could  come  athwart 
his  hawse. 

Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  was  there,  and  treated  Mr.  Som- 
ers with  the  most  distinguished  consideration.  Commo- 
dore Portington  was  there,  and  with  much  emotion 
thanked  him  for  what  he  had  done  for  his  wife  and 
daughter.  Mrs.  Portington  was  as  kind  and  motherly  as 
though  the  tie  of  blood  had  connected  her  to  the  young 
gentleman.  In  spite  of  the  courage  and  vigor  with 
which  Somers  faced  the  sarcasm  of  Kate,  he  was  re- 
duced to  the  condition  of  blushing  a  dozen  times  before 
the  party  sat  down  to  tea ;  for,  very  much  to  the  disgust 
of  such  a  modest  youth,  he  was  the  lion  of  the  occasion. 

Sarcastic  as  Miss  Kate  was  disposed  to  be,  she  kepC 
Somers  constantly  at  her  side.  O,  they  were  excellent 
friends !  —  nothing   more,  we    again   feel    compelled   to 


56  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

assure  our  readers.  He  sat  by  her  side  at  the  table,  and 
if  he  ventured  during  the  evening  to  wander  from  her 
chair,  by  some  of  those  delicate  arts  best  understood  by 
young  ladies,  she  contrived  to  bring  him  back.  Entire 
candor  compels  us  to  say  that  Somers  did  not  regard  this 
imprisonment  as  a  punishment ;  or  if  it  was,  he  submitted 
with  most  exemplary  patience  to  the  infliction. 

Kate  continued  to  be  sarcastic,  and  to  make  all  man- 
ner of  fun  of  "  the  prodigy  of  a  midshipman  ; "  but  we  are 
happy  to  inform  our  interested  friends  that  Somers  re- 
torted with  grace  and  spirit,  always  hitting,  but  never 
wounding.  The  commodore  laughed  till  his  sides  ached, 
as  he  listened  to  this  exciting  badinage ;  and  it  is  quite 
certain  that  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  lost  nothing  in  his 
good  opinion  for  the  vigor  and  spirit  with  which  he  used 
his  tongue. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  party  was  prematurely  broken  up 
by  the  departure  o^  a  portion  of  the  guests,  and  the  others 
decided  to  follow  their  example.  Somers,  though  urged 
to  remain  longer,  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  accept  the 
invitation,  but  he  promised,  with  the  prompt  indorse- 
ment of  the  commandant  of  midshipmen,  to  repeat  the 
visit  at  an  early  date. 

Somers  left  the  house  alone,  for  the  commandant  had 
another  engagement.  He  had  walked  but  a  few  steps 
towards  the  Academy,  when  he  was  joined  by  Mr.  Phil 
Kennedy. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  57 

"  Ah,  Somers !  Glad  to  meet  you  again.  Whither 
now?" 

"  Home,"  replied  Somers. 

''  Is  your  leave  out  ?  " 

"  No,  not  till  ten." 

"Walk  up  the  street,  then.  You  are  a  good  fellow, 
and  I  should  be  happy  to  know  you  better." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Somers,  as  Phil  took  his  arm, 
and  they  walked  towards  the  Ocean  House. 


58  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    V. 

SOMERS   GOES   ON  NIGHT   DUTY. 

R.   PHILIP  KENNEDY   was    a   man   of 

the  world,  and  was  perfectly  familiar  with 
all  the  phases  of  fashionable  dissipation. 
His  knowledge  of  the  vices  of  society  was 
profound  and  intricate.  There  was  no  game  of  cards, 
no  turn  of  the  dice,  by  which  money  changed  ownership, 
in  which  he  was  not  an  adept. 

Even  Somers,  simple  as  he  was  in  worldly  arts,  did 
not  for  an  instant  suppose  that  Mr.  Philip  Kennedy  and 
himself  had  met  by  accident.  The  brilliant  young  gen- 
tleman had  probably  waited  for  the  midshipman,  and 
thrown  himself  in  his  path  in  a  careless  manner,  that  no 
purpose  or  intention  on  his  part  might  be  apparent.  He 
had  an  object  in  view,  though  Somers  was  too  innocent 
to  suspect  him  of  any  improper  motives.  The  latter  had 
been  a  lion  in  the  party  —  had  been  treated  with  high 
favor  by  the  commodore  and  other  naval  officers  present ; 
Mrs.  Portington  had  been  very  kind  to  him ;  and  Kate 
had  artlessly  monopolized  his  attentions  during  the  entire 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  59 

evenin«T.  Very  likely  Mr.  Somcrs's  brain  was  turned  by 
the  consideration  which  had  been  awarded  to  him ;  very 
likely  he  considered  himself  a  person  of  no  little  conse- 
quence. It  was  quite  natural  that  Mr.  Philip  Kennedy 
should  seek  to  cultivate  his  acquaintance. 

We  cannot  positively  say  that  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers 
passed  all  these  things  through  his  mind ;  but  the  notice 
of  Phil  Kennedy  was  only  a  continuation  of  what  had 
been  going  on  all  the  evening.  It  did  not  seem  strange, 
therefore,  that  the  "  man  of  the  world"  should  take  his 
arm,  and  invite  him  to  a  stroll  up  the  street.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  the  unsophisticated  middy  felt  flattered  by  the 
notice  of  so  brilliant  a  person  as  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy. 

They  walked  up  to  the  Ocean  House,  and  Somers 
sauntered  with  him  through  the  various  halls  and  public 
apartments,  and  saw  what  of  fashion  and  gayety  the 
waning  season  had  left  behind.  In  the  course  of  their 
peregrinations  about  the  extensive  establishment,  they 
visited  the  billiard  saloon  ;  but  Somers  did  not  know  the 
first  thing  about  the  game,  and  they  finally  came  to  a  halt 
in  front  of  the  bar.  With  the  nonchalance  of  a  man  of 
the  world,  Kennedy  called  for  a  sherry  cobbler,  and  asked 
his  young  companion  what  he  would  have,  in  a  tone  which 
seemed  to  indicate  that  a  refusal  to  drink  was  not  to  be 
expected. 

Somers  politely  but  firmly  refused  to  "  imbibe,"  and  per- 
sisted to  the  last  in  declining  to  "join"  his  accomplished 


60  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

friend,  even  to  the  extent  of  a  glass  of  lemonade.  Per- 
haps he  was  over-fastidious  in  refusing  to  partake  of  a 
harmless  beverage ;  but  he  had  a  perfect  horror  of  a 
public  bar,  and  all  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy's  eloquence  was 
unavailing  to  change  his  purpose.  If  Phil  had  any 
object  in  view  he  was  utterly  and  signally  defeated. 

As  they  passed  out  of  the  bar-room,  Somers  made  an 
explanation  ;  but  it  was  not  an  apology  —  only  an  open, 
straightforward  statement  that  it  was  against  his  princi- 
ples to  taste  intoxicating  drinks.  Phil  took  the  explana- 
tion very  kindly,  and  apologized  for  pressing  the  point  as 
far  as  he  had  done.  He  supposed  all  young  men  drank, 
and  nothing  but  a  misapprehension  could  have  induced 
him  to  extend  so  offensive  an  invitation  to  one  whose 
principles  were  opposed  to  the  practice. 

At  half  past  nine  they  separated,  and  Somers  returned 
to  the  Academy  with  a  very  high  regard  for  Mr.  Phil 
Kennedy.  That  gentleman  had  treated  him  with  the 
most  marked  attention,  and  extended  to  him  many  cour- 
tesies which  a  man  of  the  world  does  not  often  bestow 
upon  a  needy  young  middy.  But,  after  all  the  kindness 
and  consideration  of  Phil,  Somers  did  not  employ  many 
of  his  leisure  moments  in  thinking  of  him.  His  thoughts 
dwelt  more  earnestly  on  the  incidents  of  the  evening  at 
the  house  of  the  commodore.  Kate  had  made  fun  of 
him  for  three  hours,  almost  without  cessation  ;  but  there 
was  something  very  pleasant  to  rei^iember  in  her  words, 
her  looks,  and  her  manner. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  Gl 

Somcrs,  though  tolerably  familiar  with  human  nature 
among  men,  was  profoundly  ignorant  of  its  develop- 
ments in  the  opposite  sex.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact, 
deduced  from  long  experience  and  close  observation,  that 
young  ladies  often  make  fun  of  those  to  whom  they  are 
the  most  strongly  attached.  They  often  call  men  mon- 
sters, even  while  they  admire  them,  and  rail  at  those  to 
whom,  at  the  fitting  moment,  they  are  willing  to  speak 
the  kindest  of  words.  Well,  it  is  only  an  exhibition  of 
that  feminine  tact  by  which  ladies  conceal,  or  attempt  to 
conceal,  their  real  sentiments.  It  is  unfortunate  for 
them  that  prejudice  and  public  opinion  compel  them  to 
hide  their  thoughts  and  feelings,  their  hopes  and  aspira- 
tions, till  somebody  has  irrevocably  committed  himself. 
Whom  she  hates,  she  often  loves ;  and  whom  she  de- 
spises, she  often  takes  to  her  heart. 

This  is  worldly  wisdom  ;  and  Jack  Somers,  still  a  boy, 
knew  nothing  at  all  about  it.  But  there  were  those 
present  at  that  evening  party  who  were  not  deceived  by 
outward  appearances  ;  and  perhaps  Mr.  Philip  Kennedy 
was  deeply  enough  versed  in  the  wiles  of  feminine  ways 
to  understand  all  about  it.  It  was  distinctly  understood 
that  he  had  aspirations  in  the  direction  of  Miss  Kate ; 
but,  beyond  a  half  concealed  scowl,  and  an  occasional 
impatient  movement,  he  appeared  to  be  utterly  uncon- 
scious of  the  presence  of  Somers. 

The  dreams  of  our  middy  have  not  been  reported,  and 
6 


62  THE    TAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

we  have  no  means  of  knowing  what  vagaries  occupied 
his  sleeping  hours  that  night ;  but  we  do  know  that  the 
midnight  bell  had  struck  before  he  ceased  to  think  of 
■what  had  taken  place  at  the  hospitable  mansion  of 
Commodore  Portington. 

During  the  succeeding  month  Somers  was  an  occa- 
sional visitor  at  the  house  of  the  commodore.  Kate 
always  railed  at  him,  but  her  words,  her  look,  and  her 
manner  ^vere  just  as  fascinating  as  on  the  first  occasion. 
As  they  became  more  intimate,  the  raillery  became  more 
earnest ;  but  everybody  beUeved  that  Kate  and  the 
prodigy  of  a  middy  were  excellent  friends.  Mr.  Phil 
Kennedy  was  ahvays  present  on  these  occasions,  and 
always  made  himself  as  agreeable  as  the  circumstances 
would  permit.  He  continued  to  cultivate  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Somers,  w4io  was  rather  pleased  to  be  on  inti- 
mate terms  with  such  an  elegant  and  accomplished  young 
gentleman. 

About  this  time,  there  Avas  a  brilliant  party,  for  an 
out-of-season  one,  at  the  residence  of  Commodore  Por- 
tington, who  was  on  the  point  of  departing  for  the  South, 
where  he  had  been  ordered  to  a  command.  Of  course 
Somers  w^as  invited,  and  obtained  leave  of  absence  till 
twelve  o'clock,  which  is  a  very  late  hour  for  young  men 
to  be  out  of  the  house,  and  could  only  be  tolerated  at  the 
Academy  on  the  occasion  of  a  commodore's  party.  Kate 
Avas  unusually  brilliant  and  fascinating,  especially  to  Mr. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  63 

Midshipman  Somers.  It  was  observed  that  she  danced 
only  once  during  the  evening ;  and  some  of  the  scandal- 
mongers were  malicious  enough  to  say  that  it  was  because 
the  *•'  prodigy  of  a  midshipman  "  did  not  know  how  to 
dance,  and  therefore  could  not  join  with  her  in  her 
favorite  amusement.  It  was  further  whispered,  tiiat  she 
had  twice  declined  to  dance  with  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy. 
Certainly  this  elegant  man  of  the  world  was  in  very  bad 
humor,  which  gave  a  color  of  truth  to  the  scandal. 

We  have  no  intention  of  detailing  the  events  of  the 
evening,  or  of  describing  the  beautiful  dresses  worn  by 
the  ladies  on  this  interesting  occasion ;  we  pass  on  to 
more  stirring  events.  About  half  past  eleven  o'clock  a 
messenger  brought  a  note  to  the  commandant  of  midship- 
men, who,  as  a  valued  friend  of  the  commodore,  was 
never  absent  from  his  house  on  great  occasions.  The 
oliicer  read  the  note,  and  his  face  wore  a  sad  and  troubled 
expression. 

"^Mr.  Somers,"  said  he,  after  he  had  read  the  note, 
"  I  am  sorry  to  abridge  your  enjoyment,  even  for  a 
moment ;  but  I  must  ask  the  favor  of  your  assistance  in 
a  matter  of  some  importance.  Pardon  me  for  interrupt- 
ing you.  Miss  Portington." 

"  ISIr.  Somers  cannot  leave  a  moment  before  twelve," 
replied  she,  with  well-made  petulance.  "  I  am  teaching 
him  to  box  the  compass,  and  he  hasn't  got  half  way 
round  yet.     He  is  the  most  stupid  fellow  for  a  prodigy 


64  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

that  I  ever  met,  aud  I  wouder  how  he  learns  his  mathe- 
matics." 

"  If  you  would  shut  your  eyes  he  would  be  a  better 
student ;  your  glance  distracts  his  attention.  But  you 
•will  excuse  him,  when  I  tell  you  that  this  is  a  work  of 
mercy,"  replied  the  commandant,  witli  a  smile.  "A 
transport  steamer,  from  New  Orleans,  bound  to  Boston, 
has  put  in.  short  of  coal.  There  is  an  officer,  a  friend  of 
mine,  on  board  of  her,  who  is  very  low  from  the  effects 
of  a  gunshot  wound.  The  surgeon  fears  lie  Avill  not  live 
till  morning,  and  has  sent  for  me.  I  happen  to  know 
that  the  sufferer's  sister  is  in  Ne^\'port,  and  I  wish  Mr. 
Somers's  assistance  in  conveying  her  on  board." 

Kate  looked  very  sober  and  very  sad,  leaving  no  doubt 
in  the  mind  of  any  one  that  she  felt  deeply  for  the  poor 
invalid,  who  might  die  before  the  loved  one  could  reach 
him  to  smooth  his  dying  pillow.  Of  course  she  offiired 
no  further  objection,  and  did  not  indulge  in  any  unseemly 
remark. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  you  will  oblige  me  by  going  down  to 
the  wharf,  and  getting  the  school  boat  ready  for  us.  If 
you  can  find  a  boatman,  employ  him ;  but  I  am  afraid 
they  are  not  to  be  had  at  this  late  hour.  I  will  find  the 
lady,  but  I  may  be  delayed  some  little  time,"  continued 
the  lieutenant,  as  he  departed  from  the  house. 

"  Come  to-morrow,  if  you  can,  Mr.  Somers,  and  tell  me 
about  the  sick  man,"  said  Kate,  as  they  parted  at  the  door. 


THE   ADVEXTURES  OF  A     NAVAL    OFFICER.  65 

"  I  will,  if  possible,"  replied  Somers,  as  he  took  her 
offered  hand,  and  was  rather  surprised  to  receive  a  gentle 
pressure,  into  which  her  interest  in  the  suffering  officer 
had  probably  surprised  her. 

"  Confound  that  young  puppy  !  "  muttered  Mr.  Philip 
Kennedy,  as  he  witnessed  this  little  incident.  "  Good 
night,  Kate,"  he  added,  stepping  forward  and  offering 
her  his  hand,  perhaps  with  the  intention  of  applying  a 
test  to  the  feelings  of  the  young  lady. 

"  Good  night,  Phil,"  replied  she,  apparently  not  seeing 
the  hand  he  extended,  at  least  not  taking  it. 

He  went  his  way,  grinding  his  teeth  with  chagrin  and 
disappointment.  A  few  rods  from  the  commodore's 
house,  he  was  saluted  by  an  elderly  man,  whose  ill- 
favored  visage  even  the  darkness  of  the  night  could  not 
wholly  conceal. 

"  TVell,  Mr.  Kennedy,  I  have  been  trotting  up  and 
down  here  for  a  full  hour,  w^aiting  for  you,"  said  the 
man. 

"  It  is  not  twelve  yet,"  replied  Phil. 

"  Business  before  pleasure  is  my  motto,"  growled  the 
stranger.  "  You  must  be  off  for  Boston  by  the  steamer 
at  three  o'clock,  if  you  are  going  to  do  this  job." 

"  Hush  up,  man  !  Don't  open  your  mouth  here,"  said 
Phil,  in  low  but  earnest  tones. 

"  We  must  have  an  hour's  talk  together  before  you  go," 
added  the  hard-visaged  man,  in  a  more  cautious  tone. 
6* 


66  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

*'  Not  in  the  street." 

"  Anywhere  you  please  ;  but  don't  lose  any  more  time. 
Where  shall  it  be  —  at  your  hotel  ?  " 

"No,  the  very  walls  have  ears.  "Walk  down  to  the 
wharf  at  the  foot  of  the  street,  and  I  will  meet  you  there 
in  fifteen  minutes." 

*'  If  you  are  not  there  in  fifteen  minutes  I  will  not 
wait,"  said  the  stranger,  gruffly. 

"  I  w^ill  be  there,"  replied  Phil,  as  he  turned  and 
walked  towards  the  house  of  Commodore  Portington. 

The  company  had  not  all  left,  and  Kate  was  still  in 
the  hall,  making  her  adieus  to  the  departing  guests. 

"  Kate,"  said  he,  stepping  up  to  her  with  extended 
hand,  "  I  am  going  away  in  the  morning,  and  I  may  not 
Bee  you  again  for  weeks,  perhaps  months  ;  and  you  re- 
fused to  shake  hands  with  me  at  parting." 

"  Refused?  I  protest  that  I  did  nothing  of  the  kind  ! 
There  is  my  hand,  Phil,  if  you  are  going  away,"  said 
she,  suiting  the  act  to  the  words. 

"  You  seem  to  rejoice  in  my  going,  Kate,"  sighed  he. 

"Where  are  you  going,  Phil?  You  didn't  say  you 
were  going." 

"  I  was  afraid  the  intelligence  would  be  too  wel- 
come." 

"  What  put  such  a  thought  as  that  into  your  silly  head, 
Phil?"  laughed  the  maiden,  who  seemed  to  be  deter- 
mined to  repress  any  exhibition  of  sentiment  on  the  part 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  67 

of  the  elegant  young  gentleman.  "  But  you  have  not 
told  me  where  you  are  going,  Phil." 

"  I  am  going  to  Portland." 

**  You  will  return,  some  time,  of  course  ?  " 

"Possibly." 

"  WeU,  Phil,  I  shall  see  you  if  you  do." 

•*'  Do  you  wish  to  see  me  again?" 

*'  What  a  foolish  question !  " 

Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  used  up  his  fifteen  minutes  in  a 
vain  attempt  to  win  a  word  of  regret  at  his  going  from 
Kate  ;  but  the  obdurate  girl,  whatever  she  thought  and 
felt,  refused  to  gratify  him.  He  took  leave  of  the  rest 
of  the  family,  and  hastened  down  the  street  in  no  enviable 
frame  of  mind. 

"  Confound  that  young  piippy  !  "  he  muttered  several 
times,  and  even  interlarded  his  exclamations  with  some 
stronger  expressions,  w^hich  it  would  scandalize  our  page 
to  write. 

In  the  mean  time  Somers  had  gone  down  to  the 
wharf,  unmoored  the  school  boat,  hoisted  the  sail,  and 
hauled  her  in  by  the  landing  steps.  The  commandant 
and  the  lady  did  not  yet  appear.  Just  as  he  had  com- 
pleted his  preparations,  it  began  to  rain.  We  have 
before  intimated  that  our  middy  was  a  philosopher.  He 
did  not  believe  in  being  uncomfortable,  even  for  a  single 
moment,  when  duty  did  not  require  the  sacrifice.  It  was 
a  mild  evening,  and  the  appearance  was,  that  the  rain  was 


68  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

only  a  shower,  which  Avould  soon  be  over.  A  wet 
jacket  might  keep  him  uncomfortable  for  several  hours  ; 
and,  true  to  his  philosophy,  he  cast  about  him  for  the 
means  of  avoiding  this  unpleasant  prospect. 

The  forward  part  of  the  school  boat  was  decked  over, 
though  there  was  no  bulk-head  to  separate  the  covered 
portion  from  the  rest  of  the  space.  He  crawled  in 
beneath  this  deck,  and  stowed  himself  away  on  some  old 
coats  and  pieces  of  sail-cloth,  in  such  a  position  that  he 
could  see  his  passengers  when  they  arrived. 

He  had  scarcely  coiled  himself  up  in  his  narrow 
quarters  before  he  heard  voices  on  the  wharf ;  but  they 
were  not  those  of  the  commandant  and  the  lady,  and  he 
did  not  leave  his  covert.  Two  men  stepped  down  the 
stairs  into  the  boat  next  to  f  he  one  occupied  by  Somers. 

"  Are  we  safe  here?  "  asked  one  of  the  men. 

"  If  any  one  comes  we  can  push  off  from  the  wharf,'* 
replied  the  other.  "  I  don't  much  like  the  idea  of  being 
out  in  the  rain." 

"The  rain  won't  hurt  you,"  said  the  first  man;  "it 
will  soon  be  over." 

"  This  thing  is  treason  for  me,  but  we  must  make  a 
good  job  of  it,"  continued  the  second  speaker,  in  whom 
Somers  recognized  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy. 


THE  ADJ'ENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  69 


/ 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SOMERS   LISTENS    TO    AN    INTERESTING   CON-VERSATION. 

/^^  OMERS  was  on  the  point  of  coming  out  from 
VS&J^  his  conceahnent,  for  he  was  too  high-spirited  to 
C^^  play  the  part  of  a  listener,  when  he  heard  Mr. 
Phil  Kennedy  acknowledge  that  the  "thing"  was  trea- 
son. He  was  not  overburdened  with  curiosity,  but  when 
his  elegant  friend  pleaded  guihy  of  plotting  against  his 
government,  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  hear  more,  and 
understand  the  "thing"  better.  He  was  shocked  to  find 
that  Phil  was  not  a  loyal  and  true  citizen  ;  and  he  was 
quite  sure  that  the  family  of  Commodore  Portington  had 
no  suspicion  of  his  dangerous  proclivities. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Kennedy,  before  we  do  any  business,  you 
must  show  me  your  commission  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Confederate  navy,"  said  the  stranger.  "You  know  that 
all  the  business  we  have  done  thus  far  has  been  based 
upon  the  fact  that  you  had  one." 

"  Do  you  doubt  my  word?"  demanded  Phil. 

"When  I  do  business  I  want  to  know  what  I  am 
about,"  added  the  stranger,  stiffly.     "  I  don't  want  any- 


70  THE    YAXKF.E   AnDDY,    OR 

thing  left  to  chance  ^Yhich  can  be  just  as  well  reduced  to 
a  certainty." 

"  I  told  you  I  had  a  commission  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Confederate  na\-y  ;  and  that  ought  to  satisfy  you." 

*'  But  that  does  not  satisfy  toe.  I  want  to  see  the  doc- 
ument.    You  young  fellows  talk  a  great  deal  of  bosh." 

*'  Don't  insult  me." 

"  Insult  you  ?  That  kind  of  twaddle  won't  go  down 
with  me.  "We  are  talking  about  business,  now,  and  you 
had  better  put  your  fine  sentiment  on  the  shelf." 

"  Of  course  I  don't  carry  my  commission  in  my  pock- 
et.    It  is  in  my  trunk  at  the  hotel.'* 

"  Very  well ;  then  I  will  see  it  before  we  part  in  the 
morning." 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  have  my  word  doubted,"  said 
Phil,  sourly. 

"  Xobody  doubts  your  word,  Mr.  Kennedy  ;  but  all  our 
operations  are  based  on  that  commission,  and  I  must 
satisfy  myself  that  everything  is  regular.  I  have  fitted 
up  the  steamer  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  pounds,  and 
she  will  be  ready  for  you  next  Thursday.  She  has  a 
good  crew  on  board,  who  have  an  idea  of  the  work  in 
which  they  are  to  engage.  "When  you  get  the  vessel  into 
"Wilmington,  you  can  select  your  o%\ti  officers." 

''  "Where  is  the  armament  ?  " 

"All  stowed  under  the  cargo,  where  no  one  can 
find  it." 


THE   ADVENTURJilS    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  71 

"  But  I  "svaut  to  use  the  guns  before  we  go  into  Wil- 
iningtoa." 

"  Xo,  none  of  that ;  the  parties  of  whom  I  purchased 
the  vessel  refused  to  sell  her  unless  I  would  agree  that 
she  should  go  into  a  Confederate  port  before  she  was 
fitted  up  as  a  man-of-war." 

"  I  may  have  a  chance  to  capture  a  dozen  vessels  be- 
fore I  reach  Wilmington,"  said  the  ambitious  man  of  the 
world. 

"  YoQ  must  not  do  it." 

*'  Is  the  steamer  fast?" 

"  She  makes  twelve  knots,  under  favorable  circum- 
gtances." 

*'  She  ought  to  make  fourteen,  for  the  business." 

"  Steamers  that  make  fourteen  knots  are  rather  scarce. 
She  is  as  fast  as  seven  eighths  of  the  Yankee  gunboats." 

"  She  will  do.  You  are  going  with  me  —  are  you  not, 
Coles  ? " 

"  No  ;  but  I  shall  join  you  on  the  way." 

"  Join  me  on  the  way  ?  "  repUed  Kennedy,  evidently 
much  surprised  at  his  answer. 

*'  Yes,  join  you  on  the  way  ;  that's  possible  —  isn't  it  ?  " 
answered  Coles.  "  I  have  a  venture  on  board  of  an  old 
schooner  in  New  York,  which  I  intend  to  put  into  your 
vessel  —  something  that  will  pay  better  than  anything 
else  we  have." 

"What  is  it?" 


72  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"Percussion  caps.  The  bulk  is  small,  but  they  are 
"worth  their  Aveight  in  gold  in  the  Confederate  States." 

*'  But  -where  -svill  you  board  the  steamer?  " 

"  You  will  leave  Halifax  on  Thursday.  About  Satur- 
day morning  you  will  be  in  latitude  41°,  longitude  C2°, 
where  you  will  cruise  till  I  join  you." 

"  1  don't  like  the  plan  very  well,"  said  Kennedy,  after 
a  momentary  silence. 

''  Then  some  other  man  will  caiTy  it  out.  The  first 
officer  of  the  Snowden  has  orders  to  sail  on  Thursday 
morning,  if  you  are  not  on  board  at  that  time.  We  can 
get  along  without  you,  Mr.  Kennedy,  if  you  don't  choose 
to  embark  in  the  venture.  I  thought  I  was  doing  you  a 
favor,  instead  of  yoiu-  doing  me  one." 

*'  For  which  I  am  to  pay  half  the  expense,"  sneered 
Kennedy. 

*'  If  you  ever  have  anything  to  pay  with,"  added 
Coles. 

"  You  have  my  bond  for  forty  thousand  dollars." 

"To  be  paid  when  General  Portington  dies,  and  you 
come  into  possession  of  one  half  his  property,  which 
may  never  happen.    A  JewAvouldn't  take  such  security." 

"You  are  sure  of  your  money." 
'  "  Not  very  sure,  especially  as  the  general  has  turned 
you  out  of  the  house,  or  done  about  the  same  thing." 

"  We  are  good  friends  now."  " 

"How  comes  on  the  other  speculation ?_^When  we 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  73 

met  last  you  were  sure  of  marrying  one  half  of  the  gen- 
eral's property,  if  you  failed  to  get  the  other  half.  Ho^y 
does  that  speculation  look  just  now?" 

Somers  did  not  hear  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  grind  his  teeth 
at  this  question,  but  it  was  only  because  he  was  not  near 
enough  ;  but  he  was  appalled  to  hear  that  Kate  was  to 
be  made  the  subject  of  a  heartless  speculation,  and  had 
no  suspicion  that  he  was  himself  regarded  as  an  obstacle 
in  the  carrying  out  of  the  operation. 

"  You  don't  answer,"  said  Coles,  with  a  low  chuckle. 

"  Everything  is  right  there,  or  at  least  it  will  be  in 
due  time,"  answered  Phil,  carelessly. 

*'  Then  there  is  a  hitch  there?  " 

"  Perhaps  you  can  help  me  out  a  little." 

*'  Perhaps  I  can  ;  but  I  don't  like  to  meddle  with  such 
matters." 

"  A  young  puppy  of  a  midshipman  stands  directly  in 
front  of  me,  just  now." 

"  O,  ho  !  "  laughed  Coles.  "  Then  the  value  of  my 
bond  is  going  down  in  the  market." 

"  Not  at  all.  The  young  cub  is  the  son  of  a  poor 
man  ;  and  when  he  is  sent  to  sea,  Kate  will  forget  all 
about  him,  and  I  shall  be  all  right  again.  If  you  could 
contrive  some  way  to  bring  this  fellow  off  to  the  Snow- 
den  in  your  schooner,  perhaps  it  would  add  something  to 
the  value  of  your  bond." 

"Perhaps  it  would,  and  perhaps  it  wouldn't.     In  a 
7 


74  THE    TAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"word,  Mr.  Kennedy,  I  don't  attacli  much  importance  to 
your  speculations  in  the  matrimonial  line.  General 
Portington,  I  happen  to  know,  has  made  a  will  in  your 
favor.     If  he  don't  alter  it,  I  am  all  right." 

"  So  am  I.  But  I  am  determined  to  marry  the  girl, 
if  it  is  only  to  punish  her  for  her  impudence.  I  hate 
this  young  cub  of  a  midshipman,  and  I  would  rather 
get  him  on  board  the  Snowden  than  capture  a  thousand- 
ion  ship.  Couldn't  you  contrive  some  way  to  have  him 
as  a  passenger  in  your  schooner  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  could,  if  it  would  accommodate  you  very 
much." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  thought  Somers ; 
"  and  I  will  hold  you  in  affectionate  remembrance  for 
your  kind  intentions." 

"  I  will  give  you  ten  thousand  dollars  for  him." 

"  In  bonds  ?  "  laughed  Coles. 

*'  From  my  first  prize-money." 

"  That's  worth  thinking  about," 

"  If  we  get  the  Snowden  into  Wilmington,  the  Confed- 
erate government  will  pay  us  more  than  she  cost,  and  I 
shall  be  in  funds  then." 

*'  I  will  look  the  matter  over." 
•    "Thank  you,"  said  Somers  to  himself.     ""WTien  you 
get  me,  I  shall  be  there." 

Mr.  Kennedy  then  proceeded  to  give  Coles  a  very 
minute  description  of  the  "  young  puppy  of  a  midship- 


TJIE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  75 

man,"  with  some  particulars  of  liis  past  history,  and 
even  ventured  to  suggest  a  plan  by  whj«h  he  could  lure 
the  young  gentleman  on  board  of  the  schooner.  But 
Coles  was  a  practical  man,  and  rejected  the  plan  without 
a  thought,  indicating  the  point  at  which  it  would  inev- 
itably fail.  « 

"  I  have  a  better  method  than  that,"  said  Coles. 

"  Hush  !  "  said  Mr.  Kennedy,  as  he  seized  the  oars  of 
the  boat ;  "  somebody  is  coming." 

Somers  saw  a  carriage  stop  on  the  wharf,  from  which 
a  lady  and  gentleman  alighted.  Before  they  reached  the 
landing-stairs  Kennedy  had  pulled  off  out  of  sight  in  the 
darkness,  and  the  listener  was  deprived  of  the  satisfac- 
tion of  hearing  Coles's  plan  for  getting  him  on  board  of 
the  steamer.  He  was  greatly  disappointed,  for  his  curi- 
osity was  deeply  roused  to  learn  the  notable  method  by 
which  the  plot  was  to  be  carried  out. 

"  Mr.  Somers  !  "  called  the  commandant. 

*'  Here,  sir,"  replied  he,  springing  from  his  place  of 
concealment. 

"  Is  your  patience  all  gone?"  added  the  commandant, 
us  he  handed  the  lady  into  the  boat. 

"  0,  no,  sir  ;  I  have  been  well  occupied  all  the  time.'* 

"  I  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  the  lady,  which  de- 
tained me  longer  than  I  expected.  Shove  off,  Mr. 
Somers." 

A  distant  church  clock  struck  one  as  the  boat  gathered 


76  THE    TAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

way  before  a  liglit  breeze.  As  the  reader  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  believing,  Somers  was  intensely  excited  by 
the  treasonable  plot  to  M'hich  he  had  listened.  The  con- 
spiracy against  himself  personally  caused  him  no  uneasi- 
ness ;  but  the  mischief  which  an  armed  steamer  might 
do  the  cause  of  the  country  demanded  prompt  action. 
The  presence  of  the  lady  passenger  on  board  the  boat 
prevented  him  from  saying  anything  to  the  commandant ; 
but  as  soon  as  they  had  boarded  the  transport  steamer  he 
related  to  him  the  conversation  which  he  had  overheard. 

Mr.  Revere  was  incredulous  ;  and  when  Somers  told 
him  he  had  crawled  under  the  half  deck  to  keep  out  of 
the  rain,  he  thought  he  must  have  been  asleep,  and 
dreamed  the  whole  story.  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  was  un- 
derstood and  believed  to  be  a  loyal  man  ;  and  his  rela- 
tions to  the  family  of  Commodore  Portington  rendered  it 
necessary  to  proceed  with  the  utmost  caution.  After  the 
commandant  had  seen  the  sick  man,  it  was  decided  to 
leave  the  sister  with  him,  and  return  to  the  shore. 

*'  I  think  you  must  have  been  asleep,  Mr.  Somers,  and 
dreamed  this  thing,"  said  the  commandant,  as  the  boat 
pushed  off. 

"  I  am  very  confident,  sir,  that  I  was  wid&  awake.  I 
don't  often  go  to  sleep  when  on  duty." 

"Mr.  Kennedy  has  been  trying  to  get  back  into  the 
navy.  He  has  offered  his  services,  and  would  have 
been  accepted,  but  some  question  about  his  relative  rank 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  77 

interfered.     He  cannot  be  a  traitor.     He  is  on  the  best 
of  terms  ^vith  Miss  Portington  —  is  lie  not  ?  " 
"  I  believe  be  is." 

"  She  would  have  spurned  him  if  there  had  been  any 
suspicion  against  him." 

"  I  only  know  what  I  have  heard,  sir." 
"  I  think  there  must  be  some  mistake,  though  I  cannot 
see  where  it  is.     I  wiU  caU  at  the  hotel  and  see  Mr. 
Kennedy." 

"  I  am  certain  you  will  find  it  as  I  have  stated,  sir," 
replied  Somers,  confidently. 

They  soon  reached  the  wharf ;  and  after  the  boat  had 
been  properly  secured,  Mr.  Revere,  attended  by  Somers, 
proceeded  to  the  hotel  where  Phil  Kennedy  had  a  room. 
The  night  porter  said  the  gentleman  had  retired. 

"  AYas  there  any  one  with  him  when  he  came  in  ? " 
asked  the  commandant. 
*'  No,  sir  ;  he  was  alone." 

Mr.  Revere  looked  at  Somers,  and  smiled  significantly. 
The  young  man  was  confused  and  confounded  to  find 
his  statement  of  so  little  value  in  the  eyes  of  the  com- 
mandant, and  was  almost  sorry  that  he  had  said  anything 
about  the  affair.  As  it  was,  he  had  not  mentioned  that 
portion  which  related  to  himself.  The  incredulity  of  the 
commandant  almost  shook  his  own  faith  in  the  reality  of 
the  events  which  had  transpired  at  the  wharf. 

Mr.  Revere  decided  to  visit  the  room  of  Phil  Ken- 
7* 


78  TEE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

nedy,  and  tliey  found  that  gentleman  in  bed,  and  appa^ 
ently  asleep. 

"I  heard  you  were  going  away  in  the  morning,  M>. 
Kennedy,"  said  the  commandant,  after  apologizing  for 
disturbing  the  sleeper. 

"Indeed!  Who  told  you  so?"  demanded  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy, rubbing  his  sleepy  eyes. 

"  I  heard  so  after  we  left  the  commodore's." 

"Did  Kate  tell  you  so?" 

"  No  ;  it  was  some  other  person.  I  only  wanted  to 
ask  you  when  you  return,  for  there  may  be  a  commission 
for  you  soon." 

"  It  was  only  a  joke  I  played  off  on  Kate,"  said  Mr. 
Kennedy,  laughing  as  though  he  enjoyed  the  recollection 
jof  the  jest.     "  I  am  not  going  away  at  present." 

"  I  thought  not ;  excuse  me  for  breaking  your  slum- 
bers, and  I  will  see  you  in  the  morning,"  said  !Mr.  Re- 
vere, as  he  retired  from  the  chamber. 

"Why  don't  you  examine  his  trunk,  sir?"  asked 
Somers,  more  confused  than  before. 

"Examine  his  trunk?"  laughed  the  commandant. 
"  That  would  be  a  serious  matter.  Now,  ]Mr.  Somers, 
I  don't  doubt  your  sincerity,  but  I  believe  you  have  been 
mistaken.  If  you  didn't  dream,  you  put  a  wrong  con- 
struction on  what  you  heard.  If  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy 
plots  treason,  he  don't  do  it  in  an  open  boat,  within  hail 
of  the  wharf.     I  will  look  into  the  matter  still  further  in ' 


\ 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  79 

the  morning.  If  you  will  show  me  Mr.  Coles,  that  will 
be  a  point  gained." 

"  I  should  not  know  him  ;  it  was  pitch  dark  and  rain- 
ing hard  when  they  came  on  board  of  the  boat." 

They  returned  to  the  Academy,  where  Somers,  almost 
convinced  that  he  had  made  a  blunder,  wrote  down  such 
particulars  of  the  treasonable  conversation  as  he  could 
recall,  particularly  the  name  of  the  steamer  which  was 
to  run  the  blockade,  and  then  be  sold  to  the  Confederate 
government,  and  the  latitude  and  longitude  in  which  she 
was  to  be  in  waiting  for  the  schooner. 

In  the  morning  it  was  found  that  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy 
had  departed,  bag  and  baggage  ;  and  Mr.  Midshipman 
Somers's  credit  as  a  reliable  witness  rose  high  in  the 
estimation  of  the  commandant.  He  was  given  a  day's 
leave  of  absence,  to  enable  him  to  hunt  up  Coles,  who 
would  be  another  link  in  the  chain  of  evidence.  But  it 
was  almost  a  hopeless  task,  for  he  knew  nothing  about 
the  man  except  the  sound  of  his  voice.  Whether  he  was 
young  or  old,  tall  or  short,  spare  or  stout,  he  knew  not. 
He  visited  all  the  hotels  that  were  open,  listened  to  the 
voice  of  every  stranger,  but  without  coming  any  nearer 
to  tJie  solution  of  the  problem.  Coles  was  an  unsolved 
mystery,  and  was  likely  to  remain  so,  unless,  in  attempt- 
ing to  carry  out  the  benevolent  wishes  of  Mr.  Phil  Ken- 
nedy, he  should  make  himself  known  to  our  hero. 

After  dinner,  Somers  called  at  Commodore  Porting- 


•80  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

ton's,  not  only  to  inform  Kate  that  the  wounded  officer 
had  died  just  before  the  transport  sailed,  but  also  to 
learn  what  he  could  about  the  sudden  exit  of  Phil.  Kate 
told  him  he  had  announced  his  intended  departure  to 
her ;  but  beyond  this,  there  was  no  information  to  be 
gained. 

Somers  left  the  house  but  little  wiser  than  he  entered 
it.  It  was  patent  to  the  commandant,  as  well  as  to  him, 
that  Phil  had  told  a  deliberate  lie  when  he  denied  his 
intention  to  leave.  Our  midshipman  had  no  particular 
qualifications  as  a  detective,  and  he  was  tired  of  the  job 
which  he  had  been  ordered  to  perform.  Hopeless  of  suc- 
cess, he  strolled  up  to  the  Redwood  Institute,  and  sat 
down  upon  a  seat  in  the  grounds,  to  think  over  the  events 
of  the  last  twenty-four  hours. 

While  he  was  musing,  a  gentleman  seated  himself  at 
the  other  end  of  the  bench. 

"  Fine  day,  after  the  rain,"  said  the  stranger,  when 
they  had  sat  there  a  short  time. 

*'  Splendid  day,"  replied  Somers. 

"I  see  by  your  uniform  that  you  are  a  naval  cadet," 
continued  the  stranger.  "  Do  .you  have  a  good  time 
there?" 

"  Yes,  very  good,  but  plenty  of  hard  work." 

''  I  suppose  so  ;  but  the  country  wants  you  as  fast  as 
you  can  get  ready." 

"  We  are  ready  now,"  laughed  Somers. 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF  A    XAVAL    OFFICER.  81* 

*'  Very  likely  you  all  think  so.  I  am  a  stranger  here, 
and  I  should  like  —  " 

"  Mr.  Coles,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,"  said  Somers, 
'uhen  he  was  satisfied  that  the  voice  was  a  familiar  one. 

"  That's  my  name  ;  but  I  do  not  remember  to  have 
met  you  before,"  replied  the  stranger,  with  no  little  con- 
fusion evident  in  his  features. 

"  I  cannot  tell  where  I  have  met  you  ;  but  I  have  seen 
you  before,"  added  Somers. 


THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    VII. 

SOMERS    SENT   UPON   ACTIVE    SERVICE. 

z**^  FTER  some  time  spent  in  fruitless  efforts  to 
71  determine  where  they  had  met,  Coles  expressed 
>^\/  his  desire  to  visit  the  Naval  Academy ;  and 
— ^  Somers  told  him  how  he  could  gain  admission. 
All  this,  of  course,  was  simply  to  make  talk.  The 
stranger,  in  his  own  estimation,  was  playing  a  deep 
game ;  and  he  certainly  managed  the  affair  with  great 
adroitness,  so  that  without  the  advantage  which  he  had 
obtained  the  night  before,  Somers  would  have  felt  highly 
honored  by  the  pleasant  words  which  his  companion  so 
freely  uttered.  As  it  was,  the  midshipman  was  amused, 
and  gave  his  polite  friend  "  all  the  rope  "  he  wanted. 

The  interview  ended  with  an  invitation  on  the  part  of 
Coles  for  Somers  to  visit  him  at  his  hotel,  which  the 
latter  promised  to  do  when  his  duty  would  permit.  He 
had  obtained  the  name  of  the  stranger's  hotel,  which  was 
all  he  had  been  waiting  for ;  and  taking  leave  of  the 
inquiring  gentleman,  he  hastened  to  report  to  Mr.  Revere 
the  result  of  his  day's  work.     It  was  very  satisfactory, 


THE  ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  83. 

and  the  midshipman  obtained  more  credit  for  his  diplo- 
matic skill  than  he  deserved,  or  would  have  been  awarded 
to  him,  if  he  had  told  the  part  of  the  story  which  related 
to  himself. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  I  have  what  I  suppose  will  be  pleasant 
intelligence  to  you,"  said  the  commandant,  with  a  smile, 
after  he  had  listened  to  the  young  gentleman's  report. 
"  You  have  been  ordered  to  sea,  with  your  friend  Mr. 
"Waldron,  who  goes  out  in  command  of  the  Rosalie." 

"It  is  indeed  good  news  to  me,  sir,  though  my  resi- 
dence in  Newport  has  been  very  pleasant,"  repUed 
Somers. 

"  The  Rosalie  is  a  fine  topsail  schooner,  of  about  two 
hundred  tons,. and  a  very  fast  sailer.  ]Mr.  Waldron  is 
an  excellent  officer,  and  you  will  find  yourself  well  ' 
situated  on  board  of  her.  Of  course  you  will  not  neglect 
your  studies,  for  you  will  still  be  a  midshipman,  and  a 
member  of  the  Naval  Academy." 

"  I  certainly  shall  not  neglect  my  studies.  I  have  too 
great  a  dread  of  examinations  to  do  that,  sir." 

"  That's  a  very  wholesome  dread.  I  know  all  aboi.t 
it  myself,  from  bitter  experience.  It  drives  one  to  be 
faithful  to  his  duties.  But,  Somers,  you  must  go  to  New 
York  to-morrow  night ;  for  the  Rosalie  may  be  ordered 
off  at  any  moment." 

This  was  rather  short  notice,  and  Somers  immediately 
wrote  a  letter  to  his  family  at  home,  informing  them  of 


84  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

the  fact  that  he  had  been  detailed  for  duty.  Leave  of 
absence  ^vas  given  to  him  during  the  remainder  of  his 
stay,  and  of  course  he  did  not  neglect  to  make  a  final 
visit  at  the  house  of  Commodore  Portington.  Kate 
received  him  with  a  smile,  as  she  always  did. 

"I  am  .glad  you  have  come.  Prodigy,  for  I  have  a 
skein  of  worsted  for  you  to  hold,  while  I  wind  it." 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  honor  you  propose  to  confer  on 
me,"  replied  Somers,  as  he  held  out  his  hands  to  receive 
the  skein. 

"  Truly  it  is  an  honor  which  is  not  conferred  on  every 
little  midshipman  that  prinks  himself  like  a  bantam  in  the 
morning  sun.  Middies  are  useless  beings  as  a  general 
rule,  and  I  feel  that  I  am  doing  a  benevolent  act  when  I 
redeem  one  from  idleness,  even  for  a  single  moment." 

"  Your  benevolence  deserves  a  monument ;  but  I  am 
happy  to  inform  you  that  I  shall  not  much  longer  be  a 
proper  subject  for  the  exercise  of  your  beneficent  genius." 

"And  why  so.  Prodigy?"  asked  she,  looking  up  into 
his  face. 

"I  am  going  to  work  —  am  saved  from  the  mise- 
ries of  idleness." 

"  Pray,  what  can  such  a  useless  fellow  as  you  do?  " 

*'  Not  much.     I  am  ordered  to  duty." 

"What?" 

"  I  am  going  to  sea  immediately.  I  leave  for  New 
York  to-morrow  night." 


TEE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  85 

Kate  stopped  winding  tlic  worsted,  and  looked  Somers 
full  in  the  face. 

'•''  Do  you  mean  so  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do.  I  am  ordered  to  the  Rosalie,  now 
ready  for  sea,  at  New  York." 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea  that  you  can  be  of  any  use 
on  board  the  Rosalie;  but  I  suppose  the  government 
wants  to  keep  some  of  the  middies  out  of  mischief,"  said 
Kate.  But  even  Somers  could  not  help  seeing  the  crim- 
son on  her  cheek,  and  being  aware,  now  that  his  eyes 
had  been  opened  by  the  kindly  revelations  of  Mr.  Phil 
Kennedy,  that  she  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  idea 
of  his  departure. 

She  tried  hard  to  conceal  what  was  really  passing  in 
her  mind  and  heart,  but  she  did  not  wholly  succeed.  She 
was  less  flippant  during  the  remainder  of  the  evening, 
and  even  became  quite  sober  and  sedate  before  nine 
o'clock.  She  was  a  little  absent-minded,  an^  several 
times  failed  to  answer  the  questions  which  her  mother 
put  to  her. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Somers,  I  am  really  sorry  that  you  are 
o-oinn-,  for  I  shall  have  no  one  to  make  fun  of,"  said  she, 
when  the  young  gentleman  rose  to  depart.  "  There  are 
plenty  of  middies  in  Newport,  but  very  few  prodigies 
among  them." 

*'  I   am    sorry  to  go,  but  I  am  very  thankful  that  I 
have  had  the  grace  to  contribute,  in  a  humble  degree,  to 
8 


Sfi  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

your  amusement.  Perhaps  Mr.  Kennedy  may  return, 
and  you  can  make  fun  of  him." 

"  Perhaps  he  may,"  she  replied,  rather  vacantly.  *'  I 
am  going  to  extort  one  more  promise  from  you  before 
you  go." 

"  I  promise  in  advance." 

"  Don't  be  rash  —  middies  should  never  be  rash." 

"  I  know  that  I  may  safely  promise  anything  -which 
Miss  Portington  can  ask." 

"  That's  very  gallant,  even  for  a  prodigy  ;  but  I  am  not 
going  to  demand  anything  very  serious." 

"  I  knew  you  would  not,  and  therefore  I  gave  my 
promise  in  season." 

"  You  are  going  to  sea,  and  you  are  a  prodig}'.  You 
have  already  done  deeds  fit  to  be  put  in  school  histories 
for  little  children  to  study,  and  very  likely  you  will  do 
something  again." 

"  Possibly  I  may,"  laughed  Somers,  who  had  long 
since  ceased  to  depreciate  his  own  merit  when  she  railed 
at  him. 

"Probably  you  will.  I  want  you  to  promise,  if  you 
do  any  great  things,  that  you  will  write  me  a  letter,  and 
tell  me  about  them  ;  but  mind,  you  are  not  to  write 
unless  you  do  something  that  is  decidedly  splendid," 
continued  Kate ;  but  somehow,  there  seemed  to  be  less 
heart  in  her  raillery  than  usual. 

"  I  promise  ;  but  I  can  assure  you,  before  I  go,  that 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  87 

my  investments  in  postage  stamps  on  this  account  will 
be  very  small." 

"  How,  sir  !  do  you  mean  to  break  your  promise  in  the 
same  breath  that  you  make  it  ?  " 

*'  I  mean  to  keep  my  promise  ;  but  you  ordered  me 
not  to  write  unle?s  I  shall  have  done  something  that  is 
decidedly  splendid." 

"  You  shall  be  your  own  judge  of  the  quality  of  your 
great  deeds." 

*'  I  do  not  expect  to  perform  any  great  deeds,  Miss 
Portington." 

*'  I  declare,  the  prodigy  has  some  modesty,  after  all !  " 
said  Kate,  with  a  feeble  laugh. 

"•  Perhaps  my  ship  may  do  something  worthy  of  record. 
May  I  write  to  you  when  she  distinguishes  herself?  " 

*'  I  don't  care  a  straw  for  your  ship  !  " 

*'  Then  I  am  afraid  I  shall  have  no  opportunity  to 
write  to  you." 

*'  What  a  silly  dolt  you  are  !  I  thought  you  were  a 
good  scholar,  and  knew  an  elephant  from  a  basket  of 
chips,"  exclaimed  Kate,  provoked  that  he  did  not  promise 
without  making  any  reservations  or  exceptions. 

"  Thank  you.  I  am  always  stupid  in  your  presence, 
just  as  the  stars  are  invisible  when  the  sun  shines." 

"  Well,  upon  my  word,  you  need  some  refreshment 
after  such  an  effort  as  that  remark  must  have  cost 
you.     Let  me  bring  you  a  glass  of  cold  water." 


S8  THE    YAXKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

"  Thank  you.  I  am  not  at  all  exhausted  by  it.  I 
could  do  the  same  thing  right  over  again." 

"  Then  you  will  not  write  to  me,  Prodigy?  " 

"  Certainly  I  will,  with  the  greatest  pleasure,  if  you 
will  remove  the  restrictions  you  imposed  upon  me." 

"  "What  restrictions  ?  " 

"  That  I  should  write  only  when  I  had  done  some  big 
thing." 

"  Well,  you  shall  use  your  own  judgment." 

Somers  departed  almost  with  the  belief  that  Phil  Ken- 
nedy had  good  reason  for  his  hatred.  He  was  not 
conscious,  however,  of  anything  more  than  a  very  pleas- 
ant friendship,  such  as  boys  and  girls  sometimes  get  up 
among  themselves,  and  was  utterly  unable  to  realize  that 
he  was  the  slightest  obstacle  in  the  way  of  Phil's  matri- 
monial speculation. 

The  following  day  was  spent  in  making  his  prepara- 
tions for  sea.  He  left  the  Academy  Avith  the  kindest, 
wishes  of  all  the  officers  and  professors,  and  with  the 
good  will  of  nearly  all  the  young  gentlemen  ;  for  there 
were  a  few  who  envied  his  fair  fame,  and  resented  his 
bright  example.  In  the  afternoon,  as  he  was  returning 
from  Commodore  Portington's,  where  he  had  been  to 
take  his  final  leave,  —  for  these  things  have  to  be  done 
over  several  times  in  particular  cases,  —  he  met  Coles, 
who,  it  was  apparent  from  his  movements,  had  been  on 
the  lookout  for  him. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER,  89 

"  All,  Mr.  Somers,  I  hear  that  you  arc  ordered  to 
duty,"  said  the  polite  gentleman. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  go  to  New  York  to-night." 

"  How  fortunate  !  We  shall  be  fellow-passengers  ;  for 
I  had  made  my  arrangements  to  leave  to-night." 

"  Then  I  shall  be  happy  to  meet  you  on  board  of  the 
steamer ;  but  you  must  excuse  me  now,  for  I  am  in  a 
great  hurry." 

"  You  must  be  busy  at  this  time  ;  excuse  me  for  de- 
taining you,"  replied  Coles,  as  he  turned  and  walked  up 
the  street. 

A  thin-faced  man,  on  the  other  side  of  the  street, 
turned  round,  and  went  up  the  hill  at  the  same  time. 
Whoever  saw  Coles  that  day,  might  have  seen  the 
sharp  eyes  of  tliis  man  fixed  upon  him  everywhere  he 
went. 

At  eight  o'clock  Somers  was  on  board  of  the  Empire 
State,  bound  to  New  York.  Coles  was  there,  too  ;  and 
so  was  the  thin-faced  man,  though  no  one  knew  him  — 
least  of  all  the  object  of  his  constant  and  keen  scrutiny. 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Somers ;  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
again,"  said  Coles,  as  he  seated  himself  by  the  side  of 
the  midshipman.     "  Did  you  secure  a  state-room?" 

"  No,  sir.     I  can  sleep  very  Avell  in  the  cabin." 

"  I  always  take  a  room ;  it  is  so  much  more  comforta- 
ble to  be  by  yourself,"  continued  Coles,  his  hard  visage     . 
lighted    up  with    an    amiable    smile.     "  There  are  two 
8* 


90  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

berths  in  my  state-room  ;  allow  me  to  offer  you  one  of 
them." 

"  Thank  you  ;  but  you  would  not  be  by  yourself  if  I 
accepted  your  polite  invitation,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  It  is  more  pleasant  to  be  with  one's  friends  even  than 
it  is  to  be  alone.  I  don't  like  to  flatter  young  men,  for 
it  spoils  them  ;  but  you  must  permit  me  to  say,  that  I 
have  learned  some  of  the  particulars  of  your  history,  and 
I  feel  a  deep  interest  in  you.  My  friend,  Captain  Bank- 
head,  gave  me  a  very  interesting  account  of  your  exploits 
at  the  South,  and  I  assure  you  I  feel  higldy  honored  by 
being  permitted  to  make  your  acquaintance." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  you  are  very  complimentary,"  re- 
plied Somers,  who  knew  that  the  other's  statement  must 
be  a  lie,  made  out  of  whole  cloth. 

Coles  continued  to  say  pleasant  things,  and  Somers 
received  them  for  what  they  were  worth.  As  he  listened 
to  them,  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  might  serve  his  coun- 
try by  learning  more  about  this  traitor's  schemes.  He 
had  been  assured  by  Mr.  Revere,  that  the  information 
he  had  obtained  on  that  eventful  night  would  be  used. 
Whether  it  had  been  or  not,  he  was  now  in  ignorance  ; 
he  was  not  even  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  thin-faced 
man  who  dogged  the  steps  of  Coles,  whose  slightest 
movement  did  not  escape  his  notice.  Perhaps  the  gov- 
ernment was  too  busy,  just  then,  to  attend  to  small  trai- 
tors ;  and  Somers  concluded  that  he  might  obtain  more 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    XAVAL    OFFICER.  91 

useful    information    by    humoring    liis     complimentary 
friend. 

With  this  view  he  considered  Coles's  invitation  to  occupy 
one  of  the  berths  in  his  state-room.  After  supper  they 
met  again  in  the  saloon,  and  the  thin-faced  man  was 
within  ear-shot  of  them.  Coles  said  Captain  Bankhead 
—  his  friend,  Captain  Bankhead  —  had  told  him  Somers 
was  a  splendid  boatman,  and  a  fine  judge  of  a  good  ves- 
sel. Somers  acknowledged  that  a  handsome  craft  was 
his  especial  delight. 

*'  I  have  just  been  having  a  schooner  yacht  built  for 
my  private  use.     Nautical  men  say  she  is  a  beauty." 

*'  Indeed !  I  should  like  to  see  her,"  added  Somers, 
fully  confident  that  this  was  the  development  of  the  plan, 
the  details  of  which  he  had  been  disappointed  in  hearing 
while  in  the  boat  at  Ne^^^Dort. 

"  I  should  be  delighted  to  have  you  go  on  board  of 
her,"  said  the  pleased  owner  of  the;  fine  yacht  —  which, 
of  course,  was  a  myth.  "  She  lies  in  New  York  harbor, 
and  if  you  have  time,  in  the  morning  we  will  visit  her." 

''  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  have  time.  I  must  report 
on  board  my  ship,  as  early  as  possible." 

*' Ah,  then  I  can  arrange  it  for  you,  so  that  you  will 
hardly  lose  a  moment.  Your  ship,  I  presume,  lies  off 
the  navy  yard  ?  " 

*'She  does." 

"  We  can  take  a  shore-boat,  visit  the  yacht,  and  then 
pull  off  to  your  ship." 


92  TEE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

* 

Somers  liked  the  plan,  and  readily  assented  to  it.  He 
had  not  the  remotest  fear  of  being  personally  injured  by 
his  polite  companion.  He  had  a  loaded  revolver  in  his 
pocket,  and  considered  himself  man  enough  for  Coles,  or 
even  two  or  three  like  him.  He  wanted  to  see  the  vessel 
which  Avas  to  convey  the  valuable  venture  out  to  the 
Snowden,  so  that  he  could  report  her  to  the  proper  au- 
thorities, and  have  her  seized  before  she  had  a  chance  to 
depart  upon  her  errand  of  mischief.  At  ten  o'clock  our 
travellers  retired  to  the  state-room  ;  for  Somers  had  ac- 
cepted Coles's  polite  invitation  in  order  to  prevent  him 
from  indulging  any  suspicions.  Both  of  them  were  ex- 
ceedingly well  satisfied  with  themselves,  an(>  each  Avas 
confident  that  he  was  effectually  carrying  out  his  own 
cherished  scheme. 

They  entered  the  state-room,  and  the  thin-faced  man 
made  a  note  of  the  fact  that  they  were  fast  friends, 
and  that  they  were  going  off  together  in  a  boat  in  the 
morning. 

The  Empire  State  reached  her  pier  at  half  past  six  the 
next  morning.  Coles  with  his  valise,  and  Somers  with  hia 
bag,  took  a  carriage  together,  and  were  driven  over  to 
the  navy  yard  ferry.  The  thin-faced  man  sat  on  the  box 
of  another  carriage,  and  did  not  lose  sight  of  them  for  a 
single  instant.  They  crossed  the  ferry  together ;  but 
the  thin-faced  man  had  on  a  mustache  and  a  different 
colored  coat  as  he  stepped  on  board  of  the  steamer.     On 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  93 

the  Other  side,  Coles  took  a  boat,  and  they  pulled  out  from 
the  pier  into  the  stream. 

''Yonder  is  my  yacht,"  said  Coles,  pointing  to  a 
beautiful  schooner,  which  lay  a  short  distance  from  the 
shore. 

"  She's  a  beauty,"  replied  Somers.  "  I  should  like  to 
sail  in  such  a  craft  as  that." 

*'  I  should  be  happy  to  have  you  ;  but  I  suppose  that 
would  be  impossible  at  the  present  time." 

"  Have  you  a  crew  on  board?" 

"  No ;  and  her  cabins  are  locked  up.  The  man  in 
charge  of  her  is  on  board  of  this  old  schooner,"  replied 
Coles,  pointing  to  an  old  vessel  near  the  yacht.  "  I  shall 
have  to  go  on  board  of  her  for  the  keys." 

Somers  concluded  that  this  old  schooner  was  to  be  the 
bearer  of  the  rich  venture  to  the  Snowden.  He  could 
not  understand  how  the  keeper  of  the  yacht  should  be 
on  board  of  this  schooner,  and  he  did  not  think  it  worth 
his  while  to  investigate  the  mystery.  Coles  directed  the 
boatman  to  pull  up  alongside  of  the  old  vessel. 

*'  This  schooner  belongs  to  me,  too,"  said  Coles,  as  he 
stepped  over  her  rail.  "  I  will  not  detain  you  above  a 
minute." 

He  disappeared  for  a  moment,  but  presently  returned 
with  an  invitation  to  Somers  to  go  on  board  and  take 
a  cup  of  coffee,  which  would  not  detain  them  five  min- 
utes.    Somers,  though  fully  aware  that  a  plot  for  his 


94  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

capture  had  been  matured  by  Kennedy  and  Coles,  did  not 
hesitate  to  step  on  the  deck  of  the  schooner.  He  had  a 
perfect  contempt  for  Coles  as  a  physical  power,  and  a 
boyish  confidence  in  his  own  ability  to  take  care  of  him- 
self. Besides,  he  was  so  intent  upon  obtaining  valuable 
information  for  the  government,  that  he  almost  forgot 
that  he  was  himself  an  object  of  Kennedy's  scheming. 

He  stepped  down  into  the  cabin,  and  drank  a  mug  of 
coffee,  handed  to  him  by  the  steward. 

"  I  used  to  be  the  skipper  of  this  vessel  in  my  young 
days,"  said  Coles,  as  he  gazed  about  the  cabin. 

"  Indeed  !    Then  you  are  a  sailor." 

"  O,  yes.  This  was  my  state-room.  I  had  it  put  up 
myself,"  he  added,  opening  the  door  of  the  little  apart- 
ment. "  Just  look  in  and  see  how  convenient  it  is  for  a 
man  of  small  desires." 

Somers  did  look  in;  did  more  —  he  went  in  —  was 
pushed  in.  The  door  was  suddenly  closed  upon  him  and 
locked. 

Apparently  Mr.  Coles's  notable  scheme  had  been  en- 
tirely successful ;  but  the  thin-faced  man  was  yet  to 
be  heard  from. 


TEE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  95 


CHAPTER    VIII 


ON   BOARD   THE   THEBAN. 


(lUJ^/  OW  make  sail*  as  fast  as  you  can,  Murdock," 

M^  said  Coles,  in  excited  tones,  when  lie  had 
r\j^  \'  locked  the  door  of  the  state-room. 

— ^  "  1  ddn't  know  about  this  business,  Captain 

Coles,"  replied  Murdock,  shaking  his  head,  as  he  glanced 
towards  the  state-room. 

"  You  don't  know  about  it?  Why,  what  do  you  mean 
by  that?"  demanded  the  polite  friend  of  our  middy, 
though  he  was  not  now  quite  so  soft-tongued  as  he  had 
been. 

"That  wasn't  in  the  bargain,"  added  the  doubtful 
skipper  of  the  schooner ;  for  such  was  the  position  filled 
by  Murdock. 

"^Yhat  wasn't  in  the  bargain?  Why  don't  you  speak 
out,  if  you  have  anything  to  say?"  added  Coles,  impa- 
tiently. 

Somers's  kind  friend  did  not  appear  to  be  aware  that 
he  was  engaged  in  a  business  in  the  slightest  degree 
irregular.      He   looked   virtuous   and   indignant   at  the 


96  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

scruples  of  his  companion  in  treason,  and  bore  himself 
as  loftily  as  though  he  had  been  a  loyal  man  on  the  deck 
of  a  loyal  ship  of  war. 

''  Carrying  that  officer  off  in  this  kind  of  way  is  some- 
thing rather  different  from  running  a  cargo  of  merchan- 
dise into  a  blockaded  port.  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  the 
thing ;  and  I'm  not  paid  for  doing  a  job  of  that  sort." 

"  Good  !  Then  you  shall  be  paid  for  it.  You  shall 
have  a  thousand  dollars  if  we  put  him  safe  on  board  of 
the  Snowden." 

"  That  alters  the  case,  Captain  Coles." 

"  I  thought  it  would,"  replied  Coles,  contemptuously. 

"  I  reckon  we  have  no  time  to  spare.  But  the  young 
cub  will  get  out  of  that  state-room." 

"  Drop  the  dead-light,  and  fasten  it  down.  He  will 
be  safe  enough  then,"  added  Coles,  as  he  led  the  way  to 
the  deck,  where  Murdock  proceeded  to  get  the  schooner 
under  way,  without  the  loss  of  another  moment. 

"  Boatman,"  said  Coles  to  the  man  who  had  pulled 
them  off  from  the  Brooklyn  shore,  "  we  have  concluded 
to  remain  on  board,  and  you  may  go  back.  Here  is  a 
dollar  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  "WTiat  will  I  do  with  the  young 
gentleman's  bag  ?  " 

"  Throw  it  on  deck." 

♦'  I  will,  your  honor,"  replied  the  boatman,  as  he 
tossed  the  bag  on  the  deck. 


THE   ADVEXTUIiES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  97 

*'  Sec  here,  my  man  :  the  young  fellow  got  into  a  little 
scrape  over  iu  the  city  last  night,  and  wants  to  keep  out 
of  sight  for  a  few  days.  Here's  another  dollar  for  you, 
and  don't  mention  to  anybody  that  you  have  seen  him." 

"  God  bless  your  honor  for  a  gintleman,  as  ye  are ; 
but  I  won't  spake  of  it  to  any  living  sowl  —  not  even  to 
Biddy,  and  that's  me  wife,  long  life  to  her  !  " 

The  dead-light  was  fastened  down,  leaving  the  prisoner 
in  total  darkness  ;  the  mainsail  was  hoisted,  the  anchor 
hove  up,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  the  old  craft  was 
making  her  way  down  the  harbor  in  the  direction  of 
Sandy  Hook  ;  and  the  man  w^ith  the  thin  face  had  not 
been  heard  from  yet. 

While  the  Theban  —  for  that  was  the  classic  name  of 
the  antiquated  craft  —  is  sailing  down  the  bay,  we  will 
take  a  look  at  Somers,  if  the  state-room  is  not  too  dark 
for  such  an  operation.  Mr.  Coles  was  so  polite  and  sin- 
cere that  our  hero  did  not  suspect  any  immediate  foul 
play.  He  knew,  but,  in  his  eagerness  to  obtain  "  valu- 
able information"  for  the  government  officers,  he  had 
not  kept  it  uppermost  in  his  mind,  that  he  was  expected 
to  be  an  involuntary  passenger  in  the  venerable  schocyjier 
«f  which  Coles  had  been  skipper  in  his  earlier  days.  He 
iiad  a  revolver  in  his  pocket,  ready  for  instant  use  ;  but 
with  so  amiable  a  person  as  his  Newport  friend,  such  an 
instrument  had  appeared  to  be  entirely  unnecessary,  and 
it  hardly  occurred  to  him  that  he  had  it. 
9 


98  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

With  the  information  Somers  had  of  the  intentions  of 
the  conspirators,  "Nve  must  say  that  he  was  careless  to 
venture  on  board  of  the  schooner ;  but  we  feel  more 
inclined  to  excuse  his  want  of  caution  when  we  remem- 
ber that  he  had  been  impelled  to  do  so  by  the  desire  to 
serve  his  government  and  defeat  the  purposes  of  traitors. 
"When  he  looked  into  the  state-room,  he  expected  to  find 
it  stored  full  of  percussion  caps,  or  some  other  commod- 
ities contraband  of  war  ;  which  fact  he  intended  to  use 
as  evidence  against  the  traitors.  He  fully  expected  to 
obtain  such  proofs  of  the  character  of  the  vessel,  and  of 
her  intended  voyage,  as  would  justify  Captain  Waldron 
in  seizing  her  when  he  should  impart  the  information. 
It  would  be  a  good  thing  for  the  new  captain  of  the 
Rosalie  to  do  a  prompt  act  for  the  government  service, 
and  add  to  his  credit  at  "Washington.  These  considera- 
tions had  caused  Somers  to  forget  his  own  relation  to  the 
conspirators. 

He  was  angry  with  himself  for  his  imprudence  when 
the  state-room  door  closed  upon  him,  and  he  realized 
that  Coles  had  actually  made  him  his  victim.  He' had 
been  guilty  of  an  indiscretion,  which  was  more  painful 
to  him  than  the  fact  of  his  imprisonment.  With  the 
future  he  did  not  yet  trouble  himself;  the  present  was 
too  full  of  doubt  and  mortification  to  allow  him  to  with- 
draw his  thoughts  from  it. 

"  I  can't  stand  this,"  said  he,  ready  to  cry  with  vexa- 


THE  ADVE^TUHES    OF    A    XAVAL    OFFICER.  99 

tion,  as  lie  thought  of  his  folly  in  getting  into  such  a 
scrape. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  a  voice  seemed 
to  reply  from  the  thick  gloom  around  him  —  a  voice 
■which  appeared  to  embody,  in  mocking  tones,  the  spirit 
of  the  conspirators  who  had  been  the  cause  of  his  misfor- 
tunes. 

"  I  am  going  to  fight  my  way  out  of  this  scrape  as 
fast  as  I  can,"  muttered  Somers,  in  audible  tones,  as 
though  he  were  speaking  to  the  obstacles  w^hich  sur- 
rounded him. 

He  took  hold  of  the  handle  and  shook  the  door,  to  test 
its  strength.  It  was  a  thick,  strong  piece  of  joiner's 
work,  and  the  trial  did  not  afford  a  very  encouraging 
prospect  of  making  his  way  through  it.  He  applied  his 
shoulder,  but  with  no  better  result.  He  then  examined 
the  stern-window.  He  could  open  the  sash,  but  the 
dead-light  w^as  carefully  secured  on  the  outside  for  the 
present  emergency.  The  partition  w^as  so  thick  ancf 
solid  that  Somers  concluded  the  captain'-s  state-room  had 
been  made  for  a  specie  room. 

While  everything  looked  thus  hopeless,  the  unhappy 
prisoner  bethought  him  of  an  expedient  w^hich  afforded  a 
slight  prospect  of  success.  He  had  his  revolver,  and 
plenty  of  metallic  cartridges  in  his  pocket.  Placing  the 
muzzle  of  the  pistol  near  the  bolt  of  the  lock,  he  fired, 
and  repeated  the  process  several  times,  hoping  to  perfo- 


100  THE     YANKEE   MIDDY,    OE 

rate  the  wood  imtil  it  gave  way.  Perhaps  this  experi- 
ment might  have  been  crowned  with  success,  if  the 
smoke  of  tlie  burnt  powder  had  not  become  so  overpow- 
ering that  he  was  compelled  to  suspend  operations. 

"  Fire  away  !  "  shouted  Coles  from  the  cabin,  with  a 
hearty  laugh,  either  real  or  forced,  which  grated  harshly 
on  the  ear  of  the  disconsolate  prisoner. 

"  Open  the  door,  or  I  shall  suffocate,"  cried  Somers. 

"  Go  ahead  and  suffocate,"  replied  the  brute.  "  If  you 
don't  know  any  better  than  to  fire  a  pistol  in  a  close 
room  like  that,  you  ought  to  suffocate." 

"Will  you  open  the  door?" 

"  I  will,  if  you  desire  it  very  much,"  replied  Coles. 
"But,  Mr.  Somers,  you  are  a  brave  man,  and  I  dare  say 
you  are  a  discreet  one.  My  friend  Captain  Bankhead 
said  you  were  as  prudent  as  you  were  brave." 

Coles  chuckled  as  he  uttered  this  remark,  and  Somers 
heard  his  step  as  he  moved  towards  the  door  of  the 
state-room.  He  was  tempted  to  fire  again,  and  wipe  out 
his  persecutor  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  if  he  could  hit 
him  ;  but  the  chances  of  making  a  good  shot  through  the 
door  were  so  few,  that  he  was  discreet  enough  not  to 
risk  it. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Somers,  I  want  to  tell  you,  before  I  go 
any  further,  that  I  have  a  pistol  in  my  hand.  If  you  use 
yours,  I  shall  use  mine ;  in  a  word,  if  you  don't  behave 
yourself  you  are  a  dead  man.     AYliat  do  you  say?" 


THE    ADVEXTUIiES    OF    A     XAVAL     OFFICER.        101 

"  Open  the  door ;  that's  call  I  have  to  say,"  replied 
Somers,  in  savage  tones. 

"  If  that's  all,  I  won't  open  it ;  and  you  can  amuse 
yourself  firing  at  a  mark  in  the  dark." 

Somers  was  almost  suffocated  by  the  dense  mass  of 
powder  smoke  in  the  little  apartment ;  and  he  was  not 
in  a  condition  to  be  very  haughty. 

"  Open  the  door,  if  you  please,"  said  he,  after  he  had 
chewed  upon  the  matter  for  a  while. 

"  Say  that  you  will  behave  yourself  like  a  man,  and  I 
wiU." 

"  I  will  behave  myself  like  a  man,"  replied  Somers, 
who  interpreted  this  promise  as  including  the  right  to 
make  a  gallant  and  manly  strike  for  his  freedom,  if  the 
circumstances  would  permit  such  an  attempt. 

"  You  are  a  sensible  fellow  now,"  added  Coles,  as  he 
turned  the  key,  and  opened  the  door  a  couple  of  inches. 

The  fresh  air  which  came  in  through  the  aperture 
gave  the  prisoner  a  new  life,  and  he  inhaled  the  precious 
blast  with  grateful  eagerness. 

"  Now,  youngster,  pass  your  pistol  out,  and  I  will  open 
it  wider,"  said  Coles. 

"  I  can't  spare  my  pistol,"  answered  Somers. 

"  All  right,"  said  Coles,  as  he  closed  the  door,  and 
locked  it.     "  What  do  you  say  now? " 

Somers  did  not  know  what  to  say.  The  room  was 
still  too  full  of  smoke  to  enable  him  to  breathe  with 
9* 


102  THE    TAXKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

comfort.  "WTiile  he  was  confined,  the  pistol  "W'as  a  useless 
piece  of  furniture,  and  the  chances  outside  were  better 
without  the  pistol  than  they  were  inside  with  it. 

"  I  will  give  up  the  pistol,"  said  he. 

"  Sensible  again,"  replied  Coles,  as  he  opened  the 
door,  and  took  the  pistol.  "There,  Mr.  Somers,  you 
have  now  fully  vindicated  your  reputation  for  bravery 
and  prudence.  You  have  fired  half  a  dozen  shots  into 
that  wooden  door,  which  proves  that  you  are  a  brave  fel- 
low ;  and  you  have  given  up  your-  pistol,  which  proves 
that  you  are  a  prudent  one.  I  honor  you,  and  deem  it  a 
privilege  to  become  acquainted  with  such  a  distinguished 
young  gentleman." 

"  Your  success  has  not  impaired  your  politeness," 
answered  Somers,  rather  tamely. 

"  Not  at  all.  I  was  brought  up  as  a  gentleman,  and 
I  Intend  to  be  one  till  the  last  day  of  my  life.  I  shall 
leave  a  letter  of  thanks  for  the  sexton  who  buries  me, 
to  be  delivered  to  him  if  he  does  his  work  well." 

"  You  had  better  write  that  letter  very  soon  then,  for 
you  will  be  introduced  to  a  hangman  before  you  are  much 
older." 

"  My  dear  Somers,  that  is  a  very  impolite  suggestion. 
I  was  born  a  gentleman,  as  I  just  now  remarked,  and  I 
intend  to  die  like  a  gentleman." 

"Were  you  a  gentleman  in  your  earlier  days,  when 
you  commanded  this  old  tub?"  said  Somers,  who  was 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF   A    NAVAL     OFFICE/l.        103 

amnscd,  in  spite  of  himself,  at  the  conceits  and  oddities 
of  his  gentlemanly  friend. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  that  was  an  amiable  fiction  of  mine, 
intended  to  assist  in  quieting  your  nerves,  before  you 
took  up  your  quarters  in  that  state-room.  You  may 
come  out  now,  if  you  desire  to  do  so  ;  but  I  trust  you  will 
not  attempt  to  leave  this  cabin,  for  that  would  reduce  me 
to  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  shooting  you." 

''  And  thus  save  your  friend  Phil  Kennedy  from  any 
further  uneasiness  on  my  account." 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  Coles,  starting  back  with  astonish- 
ment at  this  obvious  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  his  pris- 
oner, of  what  no  one  was  supposed  to  know.  "  You  are 
wiser  than  the  law  allows  young  men  of  your  age  to  be." 

"  I  know  why  I  am  here,"  added  Somers. 

"Do  you,  indeed?" 

"  Undoubtedly  I  do  ;  and  wise  as  your  age  and  expe- 
rience have  made  you,  I  could  tell  you  a  dozen  things 
that  are  worth  knowing." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  oblige  me  by  doing  so,"  sneered 
the  hard-visaged  man. 

"  Perhaps  I  will ;  and  then,  again,  perhaps  I  won't.*' 

'•  Don't  be  unkind,  my  dear  young  friend.  Confidence 
is  a  jewel  between  such  friends  as  we  are." 

"  You  can  sit  there  and  crow  over  me,  but  my  time 
will  come  by  and  by,"  said  Somers,  as  he  stepped  out  of 
the  state-room,  and  sat  down  opposite  his  persecutor. 


104  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

"  Crow  over  you,  my  dear  fellow?  I  have  been  treat- 
ing you  with  tlic  most  distinguished  consideration." 

"  You  naay  think  all  your  plans  are  crowned  with  suc- 
cess, but  I  assure  you  they  will  all  fail,"  added  Somers, 
fearfully  galled  by  the  jeering  tones  of  Coles.  "  You 
have  got  almost  to  the  end  of  your  rope,  in  a  double 
sense." 

"  That  is,  my  plans  will  fail,  and  I  shall  be  hung  for 
my  politeness  to  you." 

"  Exactly  so.  This  old  tub  wiU  never  reach  latitude 
forty-one,  longitude  sixty-two." 

Coles  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  his  hard  visage  turned  as 
red  as  blood.  His  politeness  suddenly  deserted  him,  and 
he  clutched  the  pistol  in  his  hand  with  convulsive  energy. 

"  Neither  will  you  ever  pocket  ten  thousand  dollars 
for  handing  me  over  to  Phil  Kennedy,"  added  Somers. 

"  Young  man,  it  is  evident  that  you  know  more  of  me 
than  I  had  supposed." 

"  And  Phil  Kennedy  wiU  never  invite  you  to  his  wed- 
ding with  Miss  Kate  Portington,"  continued  Somers, 
who  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  pour  in  one  more 
hot  shot. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  know  too  much  for  your  own  safety, 
young  man,"  said  Coles,  with  difficulty  repressing  his 
emotions. 

"  Too  much  for  yoiir  safety,  you  mean." 

"  For  both,  if  that  suits  your  humor  better." 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        105 

*'  Perhaps  I  do  ;  and  I  assure  you,  the  best  thiug  you 
can  do  will  be  to  put  me  on  shore  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment,  and  make  your  ten  thousand  dollars  m  a  more 
respectable  and  gentlemanly  way." 

"  I  a|iall  not  do  that ;  you  and  I  will  hang  together  for 
the  present." 

"  We  shall  be  separated  at  the  final  hanging,  which 
cannot  much  longer  be  delayed." 

"  Mr.  Somers,  I  hold  a  pistol  in  my  hand,  and  I  will 
thank  you  not  to  indulge  in  any  useless  impudence." 

Our  middy  was  prudent  enough  to  take  this  broad 
hint,  and  permitted  Coles  to  do  the  talking  for  some  time, 
without  venturing  to  make  a  reply.  There  was  not 
much,  however,  that  the  amiable  gentleman  could  say, 
for  Somers  had  taken  the  wind  all  out  of  his  sails,  by 
exhibiting  his  knowledge  of  the  conspirators'  mysteries. 
He  was  exceedingly  troubled,  and  he  could  no  longer 
conceal  from  his  prisoner  his  anxiety  and  uneasiness. 
He  made  several  efiorts,  more  or  less  direct,  to  ascertain 
Avhere  Somers  had  obtained  his  information ;  but  the 
latter  was  too  well  satisfied  w^ith  the  change  which  had 
come  over  his  persecutor  to  enlighten  his  bewildered 
mind. 

"  Captain  Coles,  there  is  a  steamer  coming  down  the 
bay,  which  acts  very  strange.  I  reckon  she  is  after  us," 
said  Murdock,  at  the  companion-way. 

"Nonsense!"  exclaimed- Coles';  "it  is  some  tow- 
boat." 


106  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  The  men  on  board  of  her  keep  looking  at  us  through 
their  glasses." 

*'  All  right !  "  said  Somers,  with  emphasis,  hoping  and 
believing  that  the  information  he  had  given  Mr.  Revere 
was  now  to  save  him  from  a  rebel  prison. 

The  man  with  the  thin  face  was  beginning  to  make 
himself  felt. 


7-77^   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        107 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE   MAN   "WITH   THE   THIN   FACE. 


R.  SOMERS,  I  will  trouble  you  to  remain  in 
this  cabin,"  said  Coles,  again  assuming  the 
polite  manner  which  had  distinguished  him 
in  more  prosperous  hours. 
"  I  will  stay  here  with  the  greatest  pleasure.  I  shall 
make  no  attempt  to  escape,  Mr.  Coles,  for  I  am  too  much 
interested  in  the  results  of  this  adventure  to  be  voluntarily 
deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter,"  replied  Somers,  with  a  bland  smile,  and  a 
courteous  bow. 

"  Don't  flatter  yourself  just  yet,  my  dear  young  friend," 
continued  Coles,  as  he  rose  from  his  seat,  and  walked 
towards  the  companion-way.  "  You  and  I  will  not  part 
company  to-day." 

Somers  hoped  they  would,  and  fully  expected  that  such 
would  be  the  result  of  the  excursion  down  the  bay.  He 
was  satisfied  that  Mr.  Revere  had  used  the  information 
he  had  given  him,  and  it  was  hardly  possible  that  the 
authorities  would  permit  a  vessel  with  important  military 
supplies  to  leave  the  harbor. 


1Q8  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

Coles  went  on  deck.  Polite  and  easy  as  his  bearing 
was,  he  was  sorely  tried  by  tlie  ditiiculties  of  his  situation. 
He  was  amazed  and  confounded  at  the  information  in 
possession  of  his  prisoner,  and  he  felt  very  much  as 
though  he  stood  on  a  volcano  in  process  of  irruption. 

"  There's  the  steamer,"  said  Murdock,  as  Coles  stepped 
on  deck ;  "  and,  if  I'm  not  greatly  mistaken,  she's  af- 
ter us." 

''  What  makes  you  think  so?  "  asked  Coles,  uneasily. 

"  In  the  first  place,  there  are  not  less  than  twenty  men 
on  her  deck,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  about  one  half  of 
them  have  spy-glasses  in  their  hands,  and  are  watching 
this  vessel." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  Murdock,"  replied  Coles, 
more  nervously.     "  Where  did  you  stow  our  cargo?" 

"  Under  the  gi'oceries." 

"  Do  you  think  they  will  find  the  kegs?  " 

"  Nothing  to  prevent  their  finding  them,  if  they  look 
far  enough." 

"  You  have  your  clearance  and  other  papers  all  right?  " 

"  All  right  and  straight,  Captain  Coles.  I  fixed  every- 
thing just  as  you  told  me." 

By  this  time  the  Theban  was  off  "  The  Kills,"  which 
is  the  strait  connecting  New  York  and  Newark  Bays. 
The  steamer  that  caused  Coles  and  his  companion  in 
treason  so  much  anxiety  was  half  a  mile  distant.  The 
wind,  which  wa.s   tolerably  fresh,  was  from  the  south- 


Tlir.    ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  109 

ward,  and  the  old  schooner  was  close-hauled,  lying  -as 
near  the  Avind  as  she  could,  which,  however,  was  not 
within  eight  points  of  her  course.  The  steamer  was 
headed  due  south,  knowing  that  the  Theban  must  pres- 
ently tack,  and  stand  out  into  the  middle  of  the  bay  again. 

"The    steamer   will   overhaul   us   in   fifteen   minutes 
more,"  said  Coles,  as  he  glanced  up  the  Kills. 

"  We  can't  expect  to  run  away  from  a  steamer  in  this 
old  craft,"  replied  Murdock. 

"  There  are  only  two  things  that  we  can  do." 

"Not  more   than -that,"    answered  Murdock,  with  a 
grim  smile. 

"  We  can  take  our  chance  in  being  examined,  or  run  up 
the  Kills  and  take  to  the  boat.     Which  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  There  isn't  much  chance  any  way,"  said  Murdock  ; 
"  but  I  think  we  had  better  run  up  the  Kills." 

"Do  so,  then." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  young  cub  in 

the  cabin?" 

"  I  have  a  mind  to  throw  him  overboard.     He  knows 
too  much  for  his  own  comfort  and  mine." 

"  lie  will  blow  on  us  the  moment  the  officers  come  on 

board." 

"  AVe  must  get  rid  of  him  before  any  of  them  come," 
added  Coles,  as  the  schooner  fell  off,  and  stood  up  the 
strait.      "We    shall   know,  now,   whether   the  steamer 
is  looking  for  us  or  not." 
10 


110  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

"  Ay,  there  goes  her  helm  over  to  port,  and  she  is 
headed  this  way,"  said  Murdock. 

"I  am  afraid  it  is  all  up  with  us,"  replied  Coles,  as  he 
went  down  into  the  cabin. 

"Well,  Mr.  Coles,  how  goes  the  battle?"  demanded 
Somers,  with  abundant  good  nature.  "  You  see  I  am 
taking  it  very  coolly." 

"  Everything  works  right ;  but,  my  young  friend,  as  I 
have  now  shown  you  my  yacht,  and  exhibited  my  state- 
room to  you,  I  think  it  is  about  time  for  you  to  join  your 
ship,"  said  Coles,  with  an  effort  to  assume  his  former 
easy  air. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  considerate  regard  for  my  wel- 
fare. Then  you  have  concluded  not  to  put  me  on  board 
of.the  Snowden  ?  " 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  shall  be  obliged  to  disappoint  our 
friend  Mr.  Kennedy.  I  will  trouble  you  now  to  go  on 
deck,  where  I  shall  take  the  liberty  to  transfer  you  to  a 
shore  bo«t." 

"Don't  give  yourself  any  further  trouble  on  my 
account.     I  prefer  to  remain  where  I  am." 

"Do  you?  Then  you  shall  be  gratified.  But  I  shall 
have  to  ask  you  to  resume  your  place  in  the  state- 
room." ' 

"  I  shall  be  just  as  comfortable  where  I  am,"  replied 
Somers,  facetiously. 

"  You  will  be  too  comfortable,"  said  Coles,  producing 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICE H.         Ill 

his  pistol.  "  This  is  the  only  argument  I  can  offer  for 
your  consideration  at  the  present  time." 

"  O,  well,  if  you  are  in  earnest,  I  will  enter  the  state- 
room ; "  and  Somers,  not  doubting  that  he  should  be 
released  in  a  few  moments,  obeyed  the  polite  order. 

The  little  room  had  been  thoroughly  ventilated,  and 
was  now  quite  comfortable.  He  sat  down  to  abide  the 
issue,  fully  satisfied  that  before  noon  he  should  grasp  the 
hand  of  Lieutenant  Waldron  on  board  the  Rosalie. 

Coles  went  on  deck  again.  He  was  nervous  and  un- 
easy, and  occasionally  glanced  at  the  pursuing  steamer 
as  a  condemned  criminal  looks  at  the  gallows  on  which 
he  is  to  be  hung. 

"  Captain  Coles,  if  you  are  going  to  stand  an  examina- 
tion, I  reckon  we  have  made  a  blunder  in  coming  into 
this  channel,"  said  Murdock. 

''  It's  no  use  to  run  away  in  a  place  like  tliis.  Put 
your  helm  down,  and  come  to  anchor  under  the  weather 
shore  of  the  creek,"  replied  Coles. 

"  Down  with  your  helm  ! "  said  Murdock  to  the  man 
at  the  tiller.  ^'  Let  go  the  anchor,"  added  he,  when  the 
jib  had  been  hauled  down.  "  Here  we  are,  Captain 
Coles." 

"  When  they  come  on  board,  just  say  that  we  found 
the  wind  ahead,  and  concluded  to  anchor  in  this  place 
till  we  could  get  a  little  slant." 

"  I  understand,""  answered  the  intelligent  skipper. 


112  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

The  Theban  came  up  to  her  anchor,  with  her  patched 
fore  and  main  sails  flapping  in  the  wind.  Murdock  sat 
down  on  the  rail,  liglited  his  pipe,  and  looked  as  un- 
concerned as  though  he  had  been  a  loyal  trader  to  a 
loyal  port.  Coles  went  aft,  and  busied  himself  in  gazing 
up  the  creek,  apparently  unconscious  that  any  great  cveut 
was  about  to  take  place. 

The  steamer  ran  her  bows  alongside  the  schooner, 
while  the  eager  crowd,  including  the  man  with  the  thin 
face,  carefully  scrutinized  the  old  craft. 

"  Hallo,  there  ! "  shouted  Murdock,  suddenly  spring- 
ing up,  as  though  he  had  just  seen  the  steamer  for  the 
first  time.  "  Hard  a-port  your  helm,  or  you  will  run 
me  doA^Ti !  What  are  you  about  ?  Do  you  mean  to 
stave  me  in  ?  " 

The  steamer's  people  made  no  reply  to  this  warning, 
but  as  her  bow  came  up  with  the  Theban's  side,  one  of  the 
deck  hands  passed  a  small  hawser  through  one  of  her 
channel  plates,  and  the  man  with  the  thin  face  leaped  on 
board  of  the  schooner.  He  was  followed  by  several 
other  men,  who  appeared  to  be  officers,  though  none  of 
them  were  dressed  in  uniform. 

"  What  are  you  about  now  ?  "  demanded  the  innocent 
skipper  of  the  Theban.  "  "What  are  you  all  coming 
aboard  of  this  craft  for?" 

''We  have  business  here,"  replied  the  man  with  the 
thin  face. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        113 

"  0,  have  you  ?  " 

*'  I  have.     Who  is  the  captain  of  this  vessel?" 

"I  am,  for  the  want  of  a  better,"  said  Murdock,  as  he 
sat  down  again,  and  proceeded  with  the  utmost  delibera- 
tion to  relight  his  pipe, 

"  But  you  are  not  the  person  I  want,"  said  the  man  with 
the  thin  face,  who  was  a  government  detective  officer. 

He  had  been  sent  on  from  New  York  to  "  work  up  " 
the^case  of  Coles  and  Kennedy,  after  Mr.  Revere  had 
telegraphed  the  information  obtained  by  Somers. 

"  Then  you  don't  want  to  see  the  captain  of  this  vessel," 
replied  Murdock,  pliilosophically. 

"  Where  is  the  other  man?"  demanded  the  officer. 

*'  What  other  man  ?  " 

"  The  one  that  came  on  board  just  before  you  sailed  — 
two  of  them,  for  that  matter.  Where  is  the  elderly 
man?" 

"  Well,  I  reckon  he  isn't  a  great  way  off.  He  stood 
on  the  taffrail  a  few  moments  ago." 

"  Do  you  mean  me  ?  "  said  Coles,  now  coming  up  from 
the  cabin,  where  he  had  gone,  as  the  steamer  was  making 
fast  to  the  Theban,  to  satisfy  himself  that  his  prisoner 
was  not  complicating  his  affairs. 

"  I  mean  you,"  answered  the  detective.  "  You  are 
ihe  man  I  want." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me  ? "  asked  Coles,  with  as 
much  simplicity  as  so  artful  a  man  could  assume. 
10* 


114  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  There  is  a  room  in  Fort  Lafayette  ready  for  yoiir 
use,"  replied  the  facetious  man  with  the  thin  face. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  It's  a  plain  case.  But  I  think  we  will  overhaul 
your  cargo  a  little  before  we  go  any  farther." 

"  I  reckon  you  will  find  it  all  right,"  said  Murdock. 

"  Perhaps  we  shall.  We  can  tell  better  after  we  have 
examined  it." 

A  dozen  men  were  set  at  work  in  the  hold.  "V^ithin 
an  hour,  they  had  brought  to  light  a  number  of  kegs, 
labelled  "cut  nails,"  which  were  found,  upon  further 
examination,  to  contain  articles  contraband  of  war,  and 
to  prove  that  the  label  was  a  lie. 

'^  Exactly  so  !  "  exclaimed  the  detective,  when  the  kegs 
were  open.    "  The  facts  correspond  with  the  information." 

"  Just  what  the  rebels  want  most,"  said  a  loyal  mem- 
ber of  the  boarding  party. 

"  Mr.  Coles,  you  are  my  prisoner,"  continued  the  de- 
tective.    "Where  is  the  other  man?  " 

"  What  other  man  ? "  asked  Coles,  with  genuine  sur- 
prise. 

"  The  young  fellow  in  false  colors  —  wearing  the  uni- 
form of  a  midshipman." 

"  He's  down  below,"  answered  Coles,  actually  chuc- 
kling, in  spite  of  his  own  misfortunes,  at  the  blunder  of 
the  officer. 

"  I  want  him  too." 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        115 

"  What  do  you  want  of  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  like  to  separate  two  such  loving  friends  as  you 
are,  and  I  think  they  can  find  a  room  in  Fopt  Lafayette 
big  enough  to  hold  both  of  you." 

"  He  is  down  in  the  cabin.  Come  with  me,  and  I  will 
show  you  where  to  find  him,"  added  Coles,  maliciously. 

*'  I  can  find  him  without  any  assistance  from  you," 
continued  the  detective,  with  highly  commendable  caution. 

"  Perhaps  you  can,"  said  Coles,  doubtfully. 

The  detective  went  below,  but  the  "  young  fellow 
wearing  the  uniform  of  a  midshipman,"  was  not  visible 
to  the  naked  eye. 

•'  Where  is  he  ?  "  called  the  officer,  who  did  not  imme- 
diately discover  the  state-room. 

Coles,  followed  by  a  couple  of  the  detective's  party,  went 
below,  and  turning  the  key  of  the  state-room,  which  he 
did  in  such  a  manner  that  the  movement  wa^  not  seen  by 
his  captors,  he  threw  open  the  door. 

"  You  are  my  prisoner  !  "  said  the  man  with  the  thin 
face,  slapping  Somers  on  the  shoulder,  as  he  stepped  out 
of  his  narrow  quarters. 

"  Your  what?  "  demanded  the  young  officer,  astonished 
beyond  measure  at  this  unexpected  demonstration. 

"  My  prisoner,  my  gallant  little  fellow.  You  under- 
stand English —  don't  you?  " 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  sir." 

"  I  can't  stop  to  explain  just  now  ;  but  you  will  prob- 


116  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

ably  understand  it  by  the  time  you  find  yourself  com- 
fortably quartered  in  Fort  Lafayette,"  replied  the 
enterprising  detective,  as  he  handed  both  of  his  pris- 
oners over  to  his  associates. 

"  In  Fort  Lafayette  !  "  exclaimed  Somers,  filled  Avith 
horror  at  the  bare  mention  of  the  place  in  connection 
■with  his  own  name. 

The  ofiicer  in  charge  of  the  party  hastened  on  deck, 
without  paying  any  further  attention  to  the  complaint  of 
the  unfortunate  young  gentleman.  The  anchor  of  the 
Theban  was  hove  up,  and  she  proceeded  up  the  bay 
in  tow  of  the  steamer. 

*'  Well,  my  dear  young  friend,  we  are  not  to  be  rudely 
separated,  after  all,"  said  Coles,  in  mocking  tones,  as 
he  seated  himself  between  the  two  officials  who  were 
charged  with   his   safe  keeping. 

"  I  presume  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  this  insult,"  re- 
plied Somers,  bitterly ;  for  being  put  under  arrest  for 
treasonable  practices  was  the  severest  trial  which  he  had 
yet  been  called  to  endure. 

He  was  not  as  patient  as  he  might  have  been  under 
this  new  misfortune,  and  he  at  once  concluded  that  he  was 
indebted  to  Coles  for  it.  He  believed  that  the  malicious 
traitor  had  accused  him  to  the  officer  of  being  his  ac- 
complice. 

"  ip^eep  cool,  my  dear  fellow,"  continued  Coles.  "  Our 
mutual  friend,  Captain  Bankhead,  assured  me  you  were 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A     NAVAL     OFFICER.        117 

the  coolest  young  man  he  had  ever  known  ;  but  I  must 
confess  that  present  appearances  do  not  confirm  his  good 
opinion  of  you." 

Somers  was  disgusted  with  Coles,  and  disgusted  with 
the  results  of  the  adventure  ;  and  he  made  no  reply  to  the 
taunts  of  his  companion  in  misery.  He  seated  himself 
in  a  corner  of  the  cabin,  and  maintained  a  savage  silence 
till  the  steamer  and  her  prize  reached  East  River,  where 
the  latter  was  anchored  under  the  guns  of  the  Rosalie, 
which  had  just  hauled  out  into  tlie  stream.' 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  if  you  will  step  on  board  of  the 
steamer,  we  will  give  you  comfortable  quarters  behind 
a  thick  stone  wall,"  said  the  polite  detective. 

*'  Thank  you,"  replied  Coles,  with  forced  indifference. 

"  I  should  like  a  few  moments'  private  conversation 
with  you  before  you  go  any  farther,"  said  Somers,  rising 
heavily  from  his  seat. 

"  I  can't  spare  the  time." 

"  Then  you  will  make  a  great  mistake  if  you  arrest 
me,  for  I  assure  you  I  am  guilty  of  no  crime,  and  am  as 
loyal  to  the  government  as  you  are." 

'*  I  can't  stop  to  discuss  these  questions  now.  It  isn't 
my  business  to  try  the  case.     Hurry  up,  if  you  please." 

"^  You  will  injure  your  credit  if  you  go  on  with  this 
matter." 

"  If  you  save  your  own  credit,  young  man,  I  will  take 
care  of  myself,"  replied  the  official,  laughing. 


118  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  gave  the  first  information  which  led  to  the  seizure 
of  this  vessel,"  whispered  Somers. 

"  Come,  come,  my  lively  little  bird,  your  tongue  is  a 
useful  member  to  you,  but  it  won't  do  you  any  good  in 
the  present  instance." 

"  Very  well ;  if  you  won't  hear  me,  will  you,  as  a 
special  favor,  send  a  man  to  inform  Captain  Waldron,  of 
the  Rosalie,  that  you  have  arrested  Midshipman  Somers, 
of  his  vessel,  on  a  charge  of  treasonable  practices." 

"  I  don't  make  any  charges,  young  man  —  I  leave  that 
for  a  court-martial  to  do.  I  found  you  in  company  with 
men  engaged  in  smuggling  percussion  caps  out  of  New 
York." 

"  I  can  explain  why  I  happened  to  be  on  board  of  this 
vessel." 

"  You  came  from  Newport  with  this  man,  Coles  ;  you 
were  on  intimate  terms  with  him ;  and  you  slept  in  his 
state-room.  '  Do  you  know  Captain  TValdron,  of  the 
Rosalie  ?  "  continued  the  officer,  who  seemed  to  be  con- 
sidering whether  there  might  not,  after  all,  be  some  mis- 
take. 

"  I  know  him  well,  and  am  ordered  to  duty  on  board 
his  vessel." 

"  I  will  send  for  him." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Somers,  now  assured  that 
he  should  soon  be  discharged  from  arrest. 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        119 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE    UNITED    STATES    SCHOONER   ROSALIE. 

fV^j(^X^/4,  OX'T  you  be  kind  enough  to  inform  Captain 
Waldron  that  I  am  here  also?"  interposed 
Coles,  as  the  boat  with  'the  messenger  was 
about  to  shove  off. 

"  Is  he  a  friend  of  yours,  too?"  demanded  the  officer, 
as  a  momentary  doubt  overshadowed  his  thin  face. 

But  the  mocking  smile  on  the  countenance  of  Coles 
assured  one  so  well  versed  in  the  expression  of  the  hu- 
man face  that  the  remark  was  a  facetious  one  ;  and  he 
paid  no  further  attention  to  the  real  traitor.  While  the 
messenger  was  absent,  iSomers  and  the  officer  compared 
notes  in  regard  to  the  trip  from  Newport ;  and  the  detec- 
tive was  pretty  well  satisfied  that  the  young  man  spoke 
the  truth. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  the  well-timed  stroke  of  a 
man-of-war  boat  was  heard  near  the  Theban.  Up  went 
the  oars,  and  Captain  Waldron  leaped  on  the  deck  of 
the  old  schooner. 


120  THE    YAyKKE    MIDDY,    OR 

"  Got)d  morning,  Mr.  Somers,"  shouted  the  captain, 
as  he  grasped  the  hand  of  his  young  friend. 

"  Good  morning ;  I  never  was  so  glad  to  see  a  friend 
in  ray  life  as  I  am  at  this  moment." 

"What  is  the  matter,  Somers?"  laughed  Captain 
Waldron,  who  seemed  to  regard  the  whole  matter  as  an 
excellent  joke.    . 

"  Nothing  in  particular,  only  I  am  arrested  for  run- 
ning contraband  goods  out  the  port." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  I  have  been  watching  this  Coles  for  two  days,  and 
followed  him  from  Newport.  Mr.  Somers  has  been  his 
constant  companion  most  of  the  time,  and  occupied  the 
same  state-room  with  him  on  the  passage.  I  found  him 
in  bad  company,  and  I  concluded  he  was  one  of  the 
traitors,"  said  the  man  with  the  thin  face,  in  apologetic 
tones. 

"  "SVell,  I  know  nothing  whatever  about  this  matter," 
replied  Captain  Waldrcn  ;  "  but  I  will  vouch  for  the 
loyalty  of  Mr.  Somers  against  any  charges  that  can  be 
presented." 

"  You  may  be  mistaken,  as  well  as  I,"  suggested  the 
detective.  "  lie  was  on  board  the  schooner  oroino:  down 
the  harbor,  and  occupying  the  only  state-room  in  the 
vessel." 

"  Yes,  and  I  was  locked  in,"  added  Somers  ;  "  I  was 
a  prisoner  there." 


TUE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        121 

*'  That  may  be  ;  but  he  seems  to  be  on  excellent  terms 
with  this  man  whom  I  was  set  to  watch." 

*'  I  will  take  Mr.  Somers  on  board  of  my  vessel,  and 
will  bo  responsible  for  his  safe  keeping,"  said  Captain 
"Waldron. 

The  officer,  who  had  no  orders  in  regard  to  Somers, 
was  satisfied  with  this  proposition,  and  promised  to  in- 
form himself  forthwith  in  relation  to  the  young  man's 
complicity  w^ith  the  transaction  he  had  been  "work- 
ing up." 

"  Captain  Waldron,  perhaps  you  will  be  kind  enough 
to  do  me  the  same  favor?"  added  Coles,  who  was  de- 
termined to  maintain  his  self-possession  to  the  end. 

"  I  haven't  the  honor  of  your  acquaintance,"  replied 
the  commander  of  the  Rosalie,  rather  coldly. 

"  My  particular  friend,  Mr.  Somers,  will  vouch  for  me." 

*' Do  you  know  this  man,  Somers?"  asked  the  cap- 
tain, as  they  went  on  deck. 

"  Never  saw  him  in  my  life  till  three  days  ago.  If 
you  please,  sir,  I  will  tell  you  all  about  this  affair  when 
we  get  on  board." 

A  few  lusty  strokes  of  the  bargemen  placed  the  boat 
alongside  the  Rosalie,  whose  fair  lines  and  beautiful  pro- 
portions Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  was  now,  for  the  first 
time,  in  condition  to  appreciate.  The  side  was  manned, 
and  Captain  Waldron  was  received  with  the  customary 
formalities  as  he  went  on  deck.  He  repaired  immedi- 
11 


122  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

ately  to  his  cabin,  to  which  his  young  companion  was 
invited. 

Though  Somers  had  been  very  cautious  in  speaking 
about  the  information  he  had  obtained  at  Newport,  in 
the  presence  of  his  friends,  or  where  it  could  possibly  do 
any  harm,  he  felt  at  liberty  to  tell  JMr.  "Waldron  the 
whole  matter,  not  even  excepting  the  part  which  was 
purely  personal.  It  was  entii-ely  satisfactory  to  his  par- 
tial auditor,  and  fully  explained  the  mystery  of  his  being 
on  board  the  Theban,  though  Mr.  Waldron  could  not 
help  condemning  the  young  man's  want  of  prudence. 

The  man  with  the  thin  face  went  over  to  the  city  ;  the 
telegraph  instruments  clicked  a  few  times,  and  Mr.  Mid- 
shipman Somers  was  wholly  exonerated  from  any  con- 
nection with  traitors  and  blockade-runners  ;  indeed,  the 
telegi^aph  was  so  obliging  as  to  inform  the  intelligent 
detective  that  the  suspected  person  had  actually  commu- 
nicated the  information  which  led  to  the  arrest  of  Coles. 

The  thin-faced  man  went  on  board  of  the  Eosalie  w^th 
the  answers  he  had  obtained,  and  made  Somers  the  hap- 
piest man  in  the  vessel  by  acknowledging  the  truth  of 
every  statement  he  had  made.  He  apologized  in  the 
handsomest  manner  for  his  mistake ;  but  Somers,  with 
becoming  moderation,  assured  him  he  had  only  done  his 
duty. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Somers,  you  have  removed  the  last  shad- 
ow of  a  stain  upon  your  good  name,  and  you  may  go  to 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         123 

your  duty.  I  will  introduce  you  to  the  executive  officer, 
and  I  doubt  not  we  shall  all  be  friends.  By  the  way, 
Somers,  I  have  an  old  acquaintance  of  yours  on  board." 

"Indeed!     Who  is  he?" 

*'  One  Tom  Longstone." 

"  Is  it  possible  !  The  old  man  brought  me  up,  and 
made  a  sailor  of  me.     He  is  a  splendid  man." 

"  He  is  the  boatswain  of  the  Rosalie,  just  now  —  that 
is,  he  is  a  boatswain's  mate,  acting  as  boatswain." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  of  it,  for  he  is  one  of  the 
best  men  in  the  service.  I  should  like  to  see  him  a  full 
boatswain." 

"You  may  before  long,  when  we  get  into  a  bigger 
ship  than  this." 

Somers  was  then  introduced  to  Mr.  Layard,  the  execu- 
tive officer,  by  whom  he  was  duly  presented  to  Mr. 
Jackson,  the  second  lieutenant,  Mr.  Greene,  the  third 
lieutenant,  and  Mr.  Brown,  the  sailing-master.  The 
actual  rank  of  the  officers  of  the  Rosalie  did  not  corre- 
spond with  that  which  they  held  on  board  of  the  vessel. 
Mr.  Waldron  was  a  lieutenant ;  but  being  in  command 
of  the  schooner,  he  was  called  captain  by  courtesy.  The 
three  lieutenants  were  ensigns,  and  held  the  office  of  first, 
second,  and  third  lieutenants,  respectively,  according 
to  the  dates  of  their  commissions  —  the  earliest  commis- 
sioned taking  the  highest  rank.  The  sailing-master  was 
also  an  ensign,  and  the  junior  officer  in  the  ward-room. 


124  ^  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

Our  midshipman  had  not  reached  the  dignity  of  being 
a  ward-room  officer,  and  he  treated  the  lieutenants  with 
the  most  respectful  consideration.  His  peers  and  equals 
were  Mr.  Midshipman  Tubbs,  whose  warrant  was  two 
years  older  than  his  o>vn,  and  two  masters'  mates,  who 
had  just  received  their  appointments.  Tubbs  was  the 
son  of  a  naval  officer,  who  had  been  relieved  for  obvious 
reasons.  The  mates  had  formerly  been  officers  of  mer- 
chant vessels,  and  had  acting  warrants,  which  would  be 
annulled  when  the  demand  for  their  services  ceased  to 
exist. 

The  two  midshipmen  and  the  two  masters'  mates  oc- 
cupied the  steerage,  a  snug  little  apartment,  with  only 
room  to  contain  four  berths,  and  a  small  table,  at 
which  they  were  to  take  their  meals.  Somers  examined 
this  place  with  the  deepest  interest,  for  it  was  to  be  his 
home  for  some  months  at  least.  It  was  a  very  small 
room  for  four  persons  ;  but  our  middy  never  grumbled  at 
manifest  destiny,  and  the  character  of  his  companions 
was  a  matter  of  more  consequence.  But  the  place  was 
well  fitted  up,  and  looked  comfortable  in  spite  of  its  nar- 
row proportions. 

Having  been  duly  introduced  to  his  messmates  in  the 
steerage,  Somers  went  on  deck  to  take  a  view  of  the  ves- 
sel. She  was  a  splendid  craft  in  every  sense  of  the 
word,  and  satisfied  every  requirement  of  a  critical  sea- 
man.    She   had   been   built  for  a  yacht  by  a  wealthy 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.  125 

gentleman,  ^\ho  intended  to  take  a  cruise  up  the  Mediter- 
ranean in  her ;  but  the  Avar  had  interrupted  his  calcula- 
tions, and  he  had  sold  her  to  the  government  for  war 
purposes.  She  had  been  completely  refitted  for  her 
present  use,  and  Lieutenant  Waldron  had  obtained  the 
command  of  her,  in  preference  to  a  small  steamer,  which 
had  been  available  at  the  same  time. 

Her  crew,  consisting  of  fifty-two  hands,  had  been  on 
board  of  her  several  days  ;  and  when  Somers  reported 
for  duty,  everything  on  board  was  in  working  order. 
The  officers  and  men  had  been  assigned  to  their  stations, 
and  the  Rosalie  was  ready  to  go  to  sea  at  a  moment's 
notice.  She  was  only  waiting  for  her  orders,  which 
were  hourly  expected  to  arrive. 

When  Somers  reached  the  deck,  he  looked  about  him 
for  the  familiar  form  and  face  of  Tom  Longstone  ;  and  it 
was  with  no  slight  emotion  that  he  identified  the  old 
man,  as  he  rolled  aft  to  greet  him. 

"  My  blessed  biscuit-nibbler  !  "  exclaimed  Tom,  as  he 
rushed  forward  to  grasp  his  hand,  in  violation  of  all  the 
traditions  of  navy  discipline. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Tom !  "  exclaimed  Somers,  as 
he  grasped  the  hand  of  the  veteran.  "  It  does  me  good 
to  meet  you  again,  and  be  in  the  same  ship  with  you." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Somers,"  returned  the  acting  boat- 
swain, recovering  himself  far  enough  to  touch  his  hat,  as 
he  remembered  what  discipline  required  of  him.     "  You 
11* 


126  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

are  as  spruce  as  the  cap'n's  monkey  on  the  Fourth  of 
July  ;  and  you  look  well  in  your  new  togs." 

"  I  have  worn  these  a  long  time,  Tom ;  and  they  are 
an  old  story  with  me." 

*'  I  suppose  so  ;  but  I  calculate  you  are  the  same  chap 
that  you  used  to  be  aboard  the  Harrisburg,  and  in  the 
little  Middy,"  said  Tom,  stepping  back  a  pace,  as  the 
fact  that  Somers  was  now  an  officer  became  more  real 
to  him. 

"  The  same  person,  Tom." 

"  I'm  sorry  we  don't  mess  together  in  this  craft ; 
but  you'll  be  an  admiral  one  of  these  days,"  added  Tom, 
rather  sadly. 

"  We  shall  be  good  friends,  as  we  always  were,  Tom. 
I  am  in  the  second  lieutenant's  watch,  and  my  station  is 
forward,  where  I  shall  have  a  chance  to  see  you." 

"  Thank  ye,  Jack  —  beg  pardon,  Mr.  Somers,'*  said 
the  veteran,  touching  his  hat,  as  he  corrected  the  mis- 
take. 

"Never  mind,  Tom;  when  you  are  boatswain,  and 
I  call  you  Tom,  instead  of  Mr.  Longstone,  you  will  for- 
give me  for  it." 

"  I  will,  my  dear." 

It  took  an  hour  to  discuss  the  events  of  the  past  year, 
and  to  recall  those  of  the  memorable  cruise  of  the  Middy 
up  the  river.  The  little  steamer,  in  which  they  had  both 
seen  some  stirring  work  up  the  Mississippi,  and  on  the 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        127 

coast  of  Florida,  was  affectionately  remembered ;  but 
Somers  thought  she  did  uot  compare  with  the  Rosalie. 

"  Isn't  she  a  beauty ! "  exclaimed  Tom,  glancing 
around  at  her  fair  proportions." 

"  That  she  is." 

*'  Look  at  that  bow  !  Did  you  ever  see  anything  go 
ahead  of  that  ?  Look  at  her  foremast !  Did  you  ever  see 
a  prettier  spar,  or  a  more  ship-shape  piece  of  rigging  ?  " 

"  Never ;  I  am  as  proud  of  her  as  you  are.  1  only 
want  to  get  at  something  that  wears  the  rebel  flag,  and 
then  we  shall  soon  find  out  what  €he  is  good  fpr." 

Tom  then  called  the  young  officer's  attention  to  her 
armament,  which  consisted  of  a  fifty-pounder  rifled  gun 
amidships,  with  four  brass  howitzers,  twenty-four-pound- 
ers, for  broadside  guns.  There  was  a  twelve-pound  how- 
itzer on  the  forecastle,  mth  two  swivels  on  the  quarters. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  no  idea  where  we  are  going,  Mr. 
Somers  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least ;  but  I  presume  we  are  going  on  the 
blockade,"  replied  Somers. 

"  I  reckon  we  can  hold  way  with  some  of  their  block- 
ade-running steamers,  if  we  have  a  decent  wind.  They 
say  this  craft  has  made  her  fourteen  knots." 

While  they  were  talking  about  it,  the  orders  came 
down  for  the  schooner  to  put  to  sea  at  once.  As  usual, 
these  orders  were  sealed  up,  to  be  opened  when  the 
vessel  was  outside  of  Sandy  Hook. 


128  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

"  All  hands,  up  anchor,  ahoy  !  "  shouted  Tom,  when 
he  had  received  his  orders  from  the  officer. 

The  crew  of  the  vessel,  sharing  the  impatience  of  the 
officers  to  be  on  the  blue  sea,  sprang  to  their  stations 
with  alacrity,  and  obeying  the  orders  as  they  were  issued, 
they  were  soon  walking  round  the  capstan.  When  the 
cable  was  brought  to  a  "  short  stay,"  the  capstan  was 
pawled,  and  the  vessel  was  ready  for  the  second  oper- 
ation. 

"  Stations  for  loosing  sail !  "  said  Mr.  Layard  ;  and 
his  order  was  repeated  by  the  several  officers  on  duty. 
"  Lay  aloft,  sail  loosers  !  " 

The  portion  of  the  crew  included  in  the  last  command 
was  small ;  for,  as  the  Rosalie  carried  only  a  Ibretop- 
sail,  and  foretop-gallant-sail,  it  did  not  require  a  heavy 
force  to  handle  them.  They  were  loosed  and  set,  ac- 
cording to  the  strict  rule  of  the  service.  The  capstan 
was  manned  again,  and  when  the  boatswain  reported  the 
"  anchor  a-weigh,"  the  jib  and  flying-jib  were  set,  and 
the  Rosalie  went  off,  close-hauled,  down  the  bay,  with 
her  port  tacks  aboard. 

The  wind  was  fresh,  and  her  speed  was  apparent  to  all 
on  board.  She  went  by  several  little  steamers,  that  hap- 
pened to  be  going  in  the  same  direction,  and  her  sharp 
bow  cut  the  water  as  clean  as  a  knife.  Somers  wanted 
to  shout  with  admiration  at  her  performance,  and  thought 
there  was  nothmg  in  the  world  equal  to  her  —  unless  it" 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    XAVAL    OFFICE H.         129 

was  Miss  Kate  Portington,  who,  in  the  whirl  of  exciting 
events  since  he  left  Newport,  had  by  no  iiieans  been 
forgotten. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Rosalie  had 
worked  her  way  down  to  Sandy  Hook,  and  the  sealed 
orders  were  opened.  Shortly  after  this  important  event, 
Somers  was  sent  for  by  the  captain,  and  ha^itened  to  his 
cabin. 

'•'•  Mr.  Somers,"  said  Captain  T\'aldron,  with  a  smile 
of  satisfaction  on  his  face,  '^  I  find  my  orders  relate  to 
the  steamer  you  told  me  of  this  morning  —  the  Snowden. 
It  appears  that  there  is  no  steam  vessel  available  for  the 
service,  and  we  are  sent  out  to  intercept  her.  Xotice  of 
her  coming  has  also  been  sent  down  to  the  blockaders  off 
Wilmington.  I  am  further  instructed,  that  Mr.  Somers 
can  give  me  any  further  information  I  may  require." 

"  Then  I  may  chance  to  meet  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  again," 
replied  Somers. 

^'  Perhaps  you  may  ;  but  the  chances  are  rather  against 
capturing  a  st  jamer  with  a  sailing  vessel." 

''  The  Snowden  can  make  but  twelve  knots  under 
favorable  circumstances.  That  was  all  that  Coles 
claimed  for  her,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  she  will  do 
even  that." 

"  We  are  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind.  Without  a  breeze 
she  could  walk  right  away  from  us.  My  orders  are,  to 
repair  to  latitude  forty-one,  longitude  sixty-two." 


130  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Those  are  the  right  figures,  sir ;  and  Coles  expect- 
ed to  see  the  steamer  about  Saturday  morning.  The 
schooner  was  to  burn  a  blue-light,  if  she  happened  to 
make  out  a  steamer  in  the  night." 

"  Good  !  Then  I  hope  we  shall  sight  her  in  the  night, 
for  we  can  burn  blue-lights  as  well  as  the  Theban," 
added  the  captain. 

"  If  you  run  a  little  farther  to  the  northward,  sir,  you 
might  improve  your  chance  of  coming  up  with  her  in  the 
night." 

*'  Very  true,  but  we  might  miss  her  by  that  process.  I 
think  our  chances  are  rather  small,  Mr.  Somers." 

The  midshipman  thought  so  too ;  and  when  he  was 
dismissed,  he  returned  to  the  steerage,  it  being  his  watch 
below,  to  meditate  upon  the  matter  ;  but  we  are  sorry  to 
say  that  he  forgot  all  about  the  Snowden  in  three  minutes, 
and  was  wondering  what  Kate  Portington  was  thinking 
about  at  just  that  time. 


THE   AD  VESTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        131 


CHAPTER    XI 


MR.    MIDSHIPMAN    TUBES. 


0  you  are  the  captain's  favorite  —  are  you  ?  '*  de- 
manded Mr.  Tubbs,  when  Somers  returned  to 
the  steerage. 

"  Not  that  I  am  aware  of,"  replied  Somers,  with 
proper  dignity. 

"  You  needn't  put  on  airs,  Somers,"  added  the  young 
gentleman. 

"  I  was  not  conscious  of  putting  on  airs,  Mr.  Tubbs." 

Somers  was  not  so  much  astonished  at  this  coarse  salu- 
tation as  the  reader  will  be,  for  ]Mr.  Tubbs,  from  the 
first  moment  of  their  acquaintance,  had  made  himself  as 
disagreeable  as  possible.  He  was  very  evidently  bent  on 
getting  up  a  quarrel,  reckless  both  of  cause  and  conse- 
quence. He  had  been  detailed  from  the  Academy  only  a 
few  days  before  Somers,  but  as  they  had  been  in  different 
classes,  they  hardly  knew  each  other  by  sight  —  at  least, 
such  was  the  fact  so  far  as  Somers  was  concerned.  He 
had  seen  him  with  Kennedy  once,  but  he  had  no  reason 
to  suppose  they  were  friends.     He  could  not,  therefore, 


132  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

ascribe  liis  apparent  malignity  to  any  sympathy  with  the 
man  who  had  chosen  to  consider  him  an  enemy. 

"  K  there  is  any  man  about  the  ship  that  I  despise,  it 
is  a  fellow  who  claims  to  be  the  captain's  favorite,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Tubbs. 

"  I  have  made  no  such  claim." 

"  Actions  speak  louder  than  words,  Mr.  Somers.  You 
expect,  under  favor  of  the  captain,  to  shirk  your  share 
of  duty,  and  bear  off  all  the  honors,  when  there  are  any 
to  be  borne  off.     I  despise  such  a  fellow  !  '* 

"  Well,  Mr.  Tubbs,  you  needn't  waste  any  more  breath 
on  that  subject ;  for  whether  you  despise  me,  or  despise 
me  not,  will  not  keep  me  awake  one  moment  at  night,  or 
cause  me  to  miss  any  portion  of  my  grub." 

"You  mean  to  say  that  my  opinion  is  of  no  conse- 
quence," growled  Mr.  Tubbs,  beginning  to  feel  that  l^e 
had  made  some  progress  in  getting  up  a  quarrel. 

"  On  the  question  at  issue,  precisely  so,  Mr.  Tubbs." 

"Do  you  hear  that,  Thompson?"  added  Tubbs,  ap- 
pealing to  one  of  the  master's  mates,  who  happened  to  be 
in  the  mess-room. 

"  I  hear  it,"  replied  Thompson,  with  indifference. 

"  "What  should  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  Nothing  ;  mind  my  own  business." 

"  So  should  I,"  said  Somers.    , 

"  If  you  think,  Somers,  that  being  the  captain's  favor- 
ite makes  you  chief  of  the  mess,  you  are  confoundedly 
mistaken." 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    XAVAL     OFFICER.        133 

"  I   have    never    assumed    any    such    position,    Mr. 

Tubbs." 

*^  Yes,  you  have  ;  you  carry  it  in  your  looks  and  man- 
ner. One  can  see  that  you  look  down  upon  the  rest  of 
us,  and  expect  to  bear  off  all  the  honors,"  replied  Tubbs, 
-Nvho  was  not  to  be  checked  by  any  minor  obstacles. 

"  As  to  the  honors,  let  every  tub  stand  on  its  own  bot- 
tom." 

''  Sir  !  "  roared  Tubbs,  jumping  off  the  stool  on  which 

he  sat. 

Now,  Somers,  being  a  most  exemplary  young  man, 
had  no  more  idea  of  making  a  pun  than  he  had  of  mak- 
ing a  quarrel ;  and  he  did  not  realize  that  he  had  done 
so  till  the  flushed  face  of  his  brother  middy  assured 
him  of  the  fact. 

"  Good  !  "  said  Thompson,  with  a  low,  inward  chuckle, 
which  assured  his  'companions  that  he  was  listening,  in 
spite  of  his  determination  to  remain  neutral. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insult  me,  ISIr.  Somers?"  growled 
Tubbs. 

"  I  had  no  such  intention." 

*'  Then  you  shall  apologize." 

"  With  pleasure  —  for  what  ?  " 

"  For  the  remark  you  made." 

"  Then  every  tub  should  not  stand  on  its  own  bottom. 
Is  that  satisfactory  ?  " 

"  No,  sir  !     It  is  not." 
12 


134  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Well,  I  have  put  it  both  ways,  and  you  are  not  con- 
tent with  either." 

"  Will  you  apologize,  or  not  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Tubbs, 
striking  the  table  violently  with  his  fist. 

"  I  am  not  conscious  of  having  done  anythino'  for 
which  I  should  apologize." 

"  You  intended  to  insult  me." 

"  I  have  already  assured  you  that  I  did  not  intend  to 
insult  you." 

"  You  made  an  unwarrantable  use  of  my  name." 

"  I  simply  quoted  a  common  maxim,  and  I  did  it 
without  any  reference  whatever  to  your  name.  That  is 
all  I  have  to  say  about  this  matter,  Mr.  Tubbs,"  replied 
Somers,  as  he  took  a  book  from  his  berth,  and  seated 
himself  near  the  door. 

"  That  will  not  do,  Mr.  Somers  !  You  can't  insult  a 
gentleman,  and  then  refuse  to  give  him  satisfaction." 

Somers  found  his  place  in  the  book. 

"  Do  you  hear  me,  sir?  " 

Somers  began  to  read. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  I  demand  satisfaction." 

Somers  finished  a  short  paragraph. 

"  You  have  grossly  insulted  me  !  You  have  made  fun 
of  the  honored  name  I  bear,  and  I  will  not  submit  to  it ! " 
roared  Mr.  Tubbs. 

Somers  began  another  paragraph. 

"  You   are    a    mean,  cowardly  flunkey !      You  can 


THE    ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        135 

toaily  to  the  captain,  and  put  on  airs  among  the  men,  but 
you  can't  insult  a  gentleman  !     Do  you  hear  me,  sir?  " 

Somers  finished  the  paragraph. 

*'  TVill  you  answer  me,  Somers,  or  shall  I  kick  you?  " 

Somers  thought  he  had  better  not ;  but  he  finished  the 
second  paragraph  without  making  any  reply. 

"  V^Q  have  come  to  a  pretty  pass  in  the  service  when 
common  sailors  are  made  midshipmen,  and  put  in  with 
gentlemen." 

"  Shut  up,  Tubbs  !  Stop  your  noise  !  "  said  Thomp- 
son, w^io  rarely  uttered  two  sentences  without  stopping 
to  rest. 

"  Do  you  apply  that  language  to  me,  Mr.  Thompson?" 
demanded  the  irate  middy. 

"  Shut  up  !  "  was  all  the  taciturn  master's  mate  would 
venture  to  reply,  or  all  he  had  breath  to  utter. 

"  The  service  is  going  to  ruin  when  such  brutes  are 
tolerated  on  board  a  man-of-war." 

*'  Stop  your  noise,  Tubbs,"  replied  Thompson,  in  low 
and  feeble  tones,  as  though  he  had  already  exhausted 
himself  by  the  long  speeches  he  had  made. 

Somers  was  so  much  amused  by  the  cool  indifference 
of  the  master's  mate  to  the  abuse  of  the  inflammatory 
middy,  that  he  could  not  repress  a  laugh ;  and  he  did 
laugh,  without  considering  what  the  effect  might  be  upon 
the  stormy  little  monster. 

"  Mr.  Somers  !  "  said  Tubbs,  boiling  with  fury,  as  he 


136  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

threw  himself  on  a  stool  opposite  the  object  of  his 
anger. 

"  ]Mr.  Tutbs,"  replied  Somers,  with  great  good  nature. 

"  You  cannot  insult  a  gentleman  !  '* 

"  I  never  tried." 

"  You  insulted  me !  I  am  no  gentleman  —  is  that 
what  you  say  ?  " 

"  No,  you  said  it,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  1  know  you  !  I  know  who  you  are 
and  what  you  are  !  You  have  grossly  insulted  me,  and 
I  will  pay  you  off  for  it,  if  it  costs  me  my  life  ; "  and  Mr. 
Tubbs,  still  foaming  with  wrath,  rushed  out  of  the  mess- 
room,  and  went  on  deck. 

"  Mad,"  said  Thompson,  without  looking  up  from  the 
book  he  was  reading. 

"  He  acts  like  a  crazy  man,"  replied  Somers. 

"  Look  out  for  him,"  said  Thompson,  with  a  tremen- 
dous effort,  for  more  than  three  words  were  a  trial  to 
him ;  and  he  never  exceeded  that  number  except  on  ex- 
traordinary occasions. 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  him  by  any  means.  I  can't 
imagine  what  ails  him.  I  haven't  done  anything  to 
offend  him  that  I  know  of." 

"  Tubs  !  "  added  the  mate. 

"  That  was  an  accident.  I  did  not  intend  to  insult,  or 
to  cast  any  reflections  upon  the  honored  name  he  bears, 
and  I  told  him  so." 

"  Means  mischief." 


THE    ADVEXTURES     OF    A     NAVAL    OFFICER.         137 

*'  "Well,  it  i3  all  a  mystery  to  me ;  he  commenced 
almost  as  soou  as  I  came  ou  board." 

"  Hates  you." 

"  I  don't  know  of  any  reason  ^\h.y  he  should.  I  cer- 
tainly never  did  him  any  injury." 

*'  Pass  the  "word  for  Mr.  Somers,"  said  the  master ; 
and  the  middy  obeyed  the  call,  leaving  Mr.  Thompson 
alone  with  his  books,  and  to  the  silence  in  which  he 
seemed  to  revel. 

Eight  bells  sounded  through  the  vessel,  which  was 
rolling  along  slowly  before  a  very  light  breeze.  The 
boatswain's  whistle  piped  up  the  first  watch  ;  and  pres- 
ently everything  was  as  quiet  on  board  as  in  a  well- 
ordered  church.  , 

"  Pass  the  word  for  Mr.  Somers,"  said  the  officer  of 
the  deck.  And  the  order  went  from  one  mouth  to 
another  till  it  reached  the  midshipman's  berth,  where 
Mr.  Tubbs  and  Mr.  Walker  were  seated  at  the  table 
reading  by  the  dull  light  of  a  ship's  lamp. 

"  Mr.  Somers  is  not  here,"  replied  Mr.  Tubbs,  as 
amiably  as  though  he  had  been  the  tenderest  lamb  in 
the  fold. 

Mr.  Xbompson,  who  was  on  duty,  was  sent  to  find 
Mr.  Somers.  He  went  to  every  place  where  a  middy 
might  be  supposed  to  exist,  but  he  was  not  to  be  found, 
and  he  so  reported.  It  so  happened  that  it  was  the 
captain  who  wanted  Somers.  As  a  zealous  and  devoted 
12* 


138  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

officer,  he  had  hardly  ceased  for  a  single  moment,  since 
he  opened  his  orders,  to  think  of  the  difficult  mission 
"which  had  been  committed  to  him.  Some  point  in  re- 
gard to  the  Snowden,  which  Mr.  Somers  might  possibly 
settle,  had  come  to  his  mind,  and  he  had  sent  for  him  in 
order  to  have  another  conference. 

Captain  Waldron  was  duly  and  properly  surprised 
when  it  was  reported  that  the  young  gentleman  could  not 
be  found.  The  Rosalie  was  not  large  enough  to  afford 
many  hiding-places.  There  was  plenty  of  room  outside  of 
her,  in  the  broad  ocean,  but  very  Uttle  within  her  wooden 
walls ;  and  Mr.  Somers  could  not  be  far  off.  The  cap- 
tain ordered  a  more  careful  search  to  be  made,  which 
was  done  with  no  better  result.  He  then  went  on  deck, 
somewhat  alarmed  at  the  non-appearance  of  his  young 
friend. 

Strict  inquiries  were  instituted.  Mr.  Layard  had  not 
seen  him ;  neither  had  Mr.  Jackson,  nor  Mr.  Greene. 
He  had  been  with  the  captain  after  he  had  been  relieved 
at  eight  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch.  Mr.  Thompson  said 
he  was  in  the  mess-room  at  one  bell  in  the  first  dog-watch. 

The  captain  began  to  be  very  nervous,  and  feared 
that  some  accident  had  happened  to  the  absentee  ;  but  it 
was  hardly  possible  that  he  could  have  fallen  overboard 
in  broad  daylight  without  being  seen.  None  of  the 
officers  had  assigned  him  to  any  special  duty,  and  none 
of  them  had  seen  him  for  two  hours  and  a  half. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         139 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Brown  ?  "  demanded  the  captain. 

*'  Below,  sir." 
"  Send  for  him." 

Mr.  Brown,  the  sailing-master,  presented  himself.  He 
had  sent  Mr.  Somers  down  to  open  the  after-hold,  but 
the  keys  had  been  returned  to  him  within  ten  minutes 
after  the  order  was  given.  This  was  a  little  later  news 
than  any  which  had  yet  been  furnished  in  regard  to  the 
absentee  ;  but  it  did  not  solve  the  mystery.  Another  and 
still  more  careful  search  was  made. 

*'  Mr.  Tubbs,"  said  Thompson,  as  they  w-alked  forw-ard 
together. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  ?  "  replied  the  midshipman, 
with  more  suavity  than  he  was  in  the  habit  of  using. 

<-'  You  know,"  added  Thompson,  significantly. 

"  Know  wiiat?"  asked  the  innocent  middy. 

"  Where  Somers  is." 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea  where  he  is.  Do  you  sup- 
pose I  should  be  looking  for  him,  if  I  knew  where  he 
was?" 

"Yes." 

"  Upon  my  word  and  honor  as  a  gentleman,  I  haven't 
seen  him  since  we  parted  in  the  mess-room,"  protested 
Tubbs. 

"  Stuff !  " 

"  Don't  you  believe  me,  when  I  give  you  my  word  and 
honor?"  added  the  middy,  indignantly. 


140  THE    YAXKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

»  No !  " 

The  "vim  "of  Thompson's  sentences  compensated  for 
■what  they  lacked  in  lengtli ;  and  Tubbs  had  no  difficulty, 
for  the  want  of  words,  in  appreciating  his  meaning. 

*'  It's  of  no  use  to  talk  to  one  who  don't  believe  what 
you  say." 

*'  Row  in  the  mess." 

"  That  wasn't  my  fault." 

"  Lie !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  I  lie  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

Somehow  Tubbs  could  not  get  up  steam  as  readily 
as  he  had  done  in  the  afternoon ;  and  he  did  not 
resent  even  the  "  lie  given  him,"  as  might  have  been 
expected  from  one  of  his  high  notions  and  fiery  temper- 
ament. In  fact,  he  was  comparatively  tame  ;  perhaps 
because  he  was  aware  that  the  taciturn  master's  mate 
regarded  him  with  supreme  contempt. 

"  He  insulted  me  then,  and  I  am  not  the  man  to  sub- 
mit patiently  to  an  insult." 

"  Tell  the  captain." 

"  Tell  him  what  ?  "  said  Tubbs,  rather  appalled  at  the 
idea  of  having  the  captain  know  what  had  happened  in 
the  mess-room. 

"  Row." 

"  Well,  if  you  choose  to  tell  him  about  that,  you  can, 
of  course ;  but  I  don't  know  where  Somers  is  any  more 


THE   AD  VEX  TU  RES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         141 

than  you  do.  The  captain  would  blame  me,  punish  me, 
■when  I  am  not  to  blame." 

"  Serve  you  right." 

"  If  Somers  has  fallen  overboard  and  got  drowned,  it 
is  not  my  fault." 

*'  Villain  !  "  gasped  Thompson,  as  he  seized  Tubbs  by 
the  collar. 

The  master's  mate  had  probably  read  the  story  of  the 
dog  and  the  fox,  and  come  to  the  conclusion,  rather  has- 
tily, that  the  young  wretch  had  pushed  the  missing  officer 
overboard. 

"  I  don't  say  he  has  fallen  overboard,"  protested  Tubbs  ; 
"  and  I  don't  believe  he  has.  Let  go  of  me  —  will  you? 
Don't  say  anything  to  the  captain,  and  I  will  make  it  aU 
right  with  you." 

"  Where's  Somers?  " 

"I  don't  know  —  upon  my  life,  I  haven't  the  least 
idea.  After  the  little  row  we  had,  it  would  make  things 
look  bad  against  me  if  you  said  anything  about  it." 

A  call  from  the  officer  of  the  deck  caused  Thompson 
to  release  his  hold  upon  Tubbs,  who  was  careful  not  to 
go  too  near  him  again.  The  mate  was  questioned  about 
the  absentee,  and  he  cautiously  acknowledged  that  there 
had  been  some  dispute  between  Tubbs  and  Somers  in 
the  mess-room. 

Tubbs  was  then  called  up  by  the  captain,  who  was  too 
much  interested  in  the  search  to  permit  the  fii'st  lieutcn- 


142  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

ant  to  carry  on  the  investigation.  The  malignant  little 
wretch  presented  himself,  but  he  stuck  to  his  former  text 
that  he  knew  nothing  about  Mr.  Somers,  and  had  not  seen 
him  since  he  left  the  steerage  at  one  bell  in  the  dog-watch. 

"  You  had  a  dispute  with  him  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

"  A  little  friendly  sparring,"  replied  Tubbs. 

"What  was  it  about?" 

"  About  putting  on  airs,  I  believe  ;  or  something  of 
that  kind.     Mr.  Thompson  was  present,  sir." 

]Mr.  Thompson  was  appealed  to,  but  he  had  all  that 
sensitiveness  about  exposing  his  messmates  to  punish- 
ment, even  if  guilty,  which  prevails  among  sailors  and 
school-boys.  He  did  not  deny  Mr.  Tubbs's  statement, 
but  he  was  fully  resolved,  on  his  own  account,  to  bring 
the  quarrelsome  middy  to  justice,  if  Somers  did  not  soon 
appear. 

"Were  there  any  hard  words  passed  between  you?" 
demanded  the  captain. 

"  No  hard  words  ;  but  there  was  some  rather  strong 
language  used  by  both  of  us." 

If  Mr.  Tubbs  had  any  further  information,  he  would 
not  impart  it.  The  master  was  examined  once  more. 
He  was  positive  that  the  keys  of  the  afier-hold  had  been 
returned  to  him  by  Mr.  Somers  within  ten  minutes  after 
he  took  them.  It  was  useless,  therefore,  to  examine  the 
hold,  and  the  search  was  sorrowfully  abandoned ;  but 
there  were  some  sleepless  eyes  in  the  Eosalie  that  night. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER.        143 


CHAPTER    XII. 


SOMERS     IN     DAKKNESS. 


i^Pj^HE  keys  of  the  after-hold  are  the  especial 
/'■  charge  of  the  master.  It  is  never  opened  ex- 
^^Jy  cept  in  presence  of  a  suitable  officer,  who  is 
responsible  for  any  neglect  or  carelessness  of  which  the 
party  taking  out  stores  may  be  guilty.  Somers  had  been 
sent  down  to  attend  to  this  duty.  He  had  delivered  the 
stores,  or  rather  seen  them  delivered ;  and,  in  order  to 
be  sure  that  everything  was  right,  he  had  stepped  within 
the  door  to  make  a  careful  survey  of  the  place.  He  had 
scarcely  done  so  when  the  door  was  suddenly  closed  upon 
him.  He  was  in  total  darkness,  for  he  had  left  the  lantern 
outside,  that  he  might  the  better  detect  any  appearance 
of  fire  Avithin  the  store-room. 

Somers  groped  his  way  back  to  the  door,  but  found 
that  it  was  locked.  Of  course  he  was  greatly  annoyed 
and  astonished  at  the  blunder  some  one  had  made.  But 
it  was  a  mistake  which  must  shortly  be  corrected.  He 
concluded  that  Mr.  Brown,  the  sailing-master,  had  come 
below   himself,    and  finding   the    store-room  open,    had 


144  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

closed  it,  and  gone  on  deck  to  find  the  officer  who  had 
thus  neglected  his  duty.  He  would  soon  return,  and  an 
explanation  would  make  the  matter  all  right. 

Mr.  Brown  did  not  return  ;  no  one  came  to  release 
him  from  his  dark  prison-house.  The  mistake  began  to 
appear  unaccountable  to  him.  He  made  some  experi- 
ments with  his  voice,  which,  however,  seemed  to  be  fail- 
ures, as  they  did  not  bring  the  needed  relief  from  above. 
It  was  no  use  to  fret  about  his  situation,  which  he  re- 
garded as  by  no  means  desperate.  At  the  worst  he  could 
only  spend  the  night  there,  and  some  one  would  release 
him  in  the  morning,  if  a  call  happened  to  be  made  for 
stores.  It  was  a  dark,  disagreeable  place  in  which  to 
«pend  the  night ;  but  as  that  was  the  best  which  could  be 
done,  he  decided  to  content  himself  with  the  situation. 

The  hours  wore  away  very  slowly ;  but  Somers  im- 
agined himself  in  Newport,  holding  a  skein  of  worsted 
for  Kate  Portington,  and  his  fancy  easily  changed  the 
gloomy  apartment  into  the  pleasant  parlor  of  Commo- 
dore Portington.  From  there  he  went  to  Pinchbrook,  and 
sat  for  an  hour  in  the  kitchen,  talking  with  his  father  and 
mother  about  the  Rosalie,  and  M'ondering  how  he  could 
contrive  to  tell  them  about  the  fair  young  lady  who 
always  called  him  a  prodigy.  But,  after  all,  the  dark 
hold  was  neither  the  parlor  at  Newport  nor  the  kitchen 
at  Pinchbrook  ;  and,  in  spite  of  his  vivid  fancy,  he 
was  occasionally  brought  to   a  realizing  sense  that  he 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF   A    \AVAL    OFFICER.        145 

was  surrouuded  by  boxes  and  bags,  casks,  kegs,  and 
caus. 

At  an  early  hour  he  made  his  bed  on  the  floor,  and  in 
due  time  went  to  sleep.  His  sublime  philosophy  enabled 
him  to  accomplish  this  feat  without  any  very  severe  ex- 
ertions. The  bed  was  very  hard,  and  latterly  he  had  not 
been  accustomed  to  roughing  it  on  a  plank  ;  so  he  waked 
up  several  times  during  the  night,  but,  after  a  careful 
consideration  of  his  position  each  time,  he  went  to  sleep 
again.  On  the  Avhole,  he  passed  a  tolerably  comfortable 
night,  though  he  would  have  preferred  to  be  in  his  berth 
in  the  steerage,  or  with  his  watch  on  deck.  He  did  not 
regard  himself  as  a  martyr,  and  did  not  make  any  set 
statement  of  his  sufferings,  wherewith  to  regale  his  mess- 
mates after  his  escape. 

Morning  came,  though  Somers,  shrouded  in  the  deep 
gloom  of  the  hold,  was  not  conscious  of  the  fact.  He 
had  slept  all  he  could,  and,  being  a  resolute  sleeper,  he 
concluded  from  this  fact  that  it  must  be  daylight.  But  hour 
after  hour  passed  away,  and  no  one  came  for  stores  ;  and 
the  darkness  frowned  upon  him  as  savagely  as  ever.  He 
could  not  hear  the  bells  on  deck,  though  the  occasional 
footstep  of  an  officer  in  the  ward-room  was  audible. 

In  the  mean  time.  Captain  Waldron  was  greatly  dis- 
tressed about  the  absence  of  his  young  officer.  On  one 
occasion  Somers  had  saved  his  life,  and  he  was  as  grate- 
ful as  one  man  could  be  to  another  for  this  service.  In 
13 


146  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

addition  to  this  fact,  tlie  absentee  "was  a  splendid  fellow 
in  his  estimation  ;  and,  for  this  reason  alone,  he  could 
not  afford  to  lose  him.  He  had  not  slept  half  as  well  in 
his  comfortable  cabin  as  Somers  had  on  the  soft  side  of 
the  pine  plank  which  formed  his  bed. 

A  careful  consideration  of  all  the  circumstances,  and  a 
careful  weighing  of  all  the  evidence  in  his  possession, 
well  nigh  convinced  him  that  Somers  had  not  fallen  over- 
board. He  was  either  in  the  vessel,  or  he  had  been 
swallowed  up  by  the  ocean.  As  no  one  had  seen  him 
fall  overboard,  as  no  one  had  seen  him  in  a  position 
where  he  could  fall  overboard,  it  seemed  more  probable 
that  he  was  still  in  the  vessel. 

At  eight  bells,  when  the  forenoon  watch  came  on  deck, 
and  the  essential  parts  of  the  ship's  work  had  been  per- 
formed, the  captain  ordered  a  strict  search  to  be  made  in 
every  part  of  the  vessel,  not  excepting  the  bread-room 
and  magazine.  The  master  himself  was  ordered  to 
superintend  the  search  in  the  parts  of  the  hold  under  his 
own  care,  and  the  first  place  he  went  to  was  the  store- 
room. 

**  Good  morning,  Mr.  Brown,"  said  Somers,  touching 
his  cap,  as  by  the  light  of  his  lantern  he  recognized  the 
sailing-master. 

•'Good  heaven,  Somers!  you  here?"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Brown,  as  much  astonished  as  though  a  ghost  had  risen 
from  the  depths  of  the  ocean  to  confront  him. 


THE   ADVENTURES  OF  A     NAVAL    OFFICER.        147 

*'  I  am  here,  sir,  just  where  you  left  me  last  night,'* 
replied  Somers,  with  undisturbed  good  nature. 

*' "Where  1  left  you?"  demanded  Mr.  Brown;  "I 
didn't  leave  you  here  ;  I  hadn't  the  slightest  idea  where 
you  were." 

"  I  supposed  not,  and  I  concluded  that  you  had  fas- 
tened the  door  on  me  by  mistake." 

"  It  would  have  been  a  mistake  if  I  had  done  so,  but 
I  did  not  close  the  door  at  all.  I  don't  understand  this 
matter." 

"  Xor  I  either,  sir.  It  was  rather  too  dark  in  there 
to  see  into  anything." 

"  But  you  brought  the  keys  to  me  last  night,  and  re- 
ported the  after-hold  closed,"  continued  Mr.  Brown. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  I  did  not." 

"  Then  it  was  your  ghost,"  replied  the  bewildered 
master. 

"  That  may  have  been,  sir  ;  but  I  am  not  responsible 
for  the  movements  of  my  ghost." 

"  But  I  am  sure  it  was  you  w^ho  placed  the  keys  on 
my  desk,  and  reported  the  after-hold  all  secure." 

*'  You  will  excuse  me,  sir,  if  I  deny  it  again.  It 
would  not  have  been  convenient  for  me  to  lock  myself 
into  the  store-room,  and  carry  the  keys  to  you." 

*'  I  should  say  it  would  not.  It  is  all  a  mystery  to 
me,  for  I  would  have  taken  my  oath  you  brought  me  the 
keys.     But  I  am  glad  to  find  you  again.     Now  come  oq 


148  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

deck,  and  show  yourself  to  the  captain,  who  has  almost 
had  a  fever  on  your  account." 

It  was  instantly  reported  through  the  vessel  that  Mr. 
Somers  had  been  found,  and  under  the  direction  of  acting 
Boatswain  Longstone,  three  lusty  cheers  were  given  by 
the  men,  of  which  manifest  breach  of  discipline  no  notice 
was  taken  by  the  officer  of  the  deck,  for  Captain  Wal- 
dron  was  pacing  the  weather  side  of  the  quarter-deck 
with  him. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  report  myself,  sir,"  said  Somers, 
touching  his  hat  to  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

The  captain  grasped  his  hand  with  enthusiasm,  and  his 
example  was  followed  by  the  executive  officer.  Somers's 
face  was  radiant  with  smiles,  and  it  was  plain  that  he 
was  not  in  a  suffering  condition,  and  had  undergone  no 
severe  hardships  during  his  absence. 

"Have  you  been  ashore,  Mr.  Somers?"  asked  the 
captain,  as  he  wrung  his  hand. 

"  No,  sir,  I  have  not." 

"  Where  have  you  been? " 

"  Down  in  the  store-room,  sir.  I  got  locked  in  by  some 
mistake." 

"  By  some  mistake  ?     How  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  the  least  idea,  sir.  I  only  know  that  I 
was  sent  down  with  the  keys  by  Mr.  Brown.  When  the 
steward  had  taken  his  stores,  I  went  in  again,  to  be  sure 
there  was  no  fii'e  there.    I  left  the  lantern  in  the  passage- 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        149 

wav,  and  was  making  a  careful  examination,  when  the 
door  Mas  closed  and  locked.  That  is  all  I  know  about  it, 
sir.  I  supposed  it  was  an  accident,  and  that  Mr.  Brown 
had  locked  the  door  himself." 

"  I  did  not,  sir,"  added  Mr.  Brown. 
"  You  said  that  Mr.  Somers  brought  you  the  keys," 
said  the  captain. 

"  I  said  so,  sir,  and  I  would  have  sworn  to  the  fact  ten 
minutes  ago,  though,  of  course,  that  could  not  have  been 
the  case." 

"Well,  who  did  bring  you  the  keys?"  demanded  the 
captain,  impatiently  ;  for  every  thing  did  not  look  regular 
and  ship-shape  to  him. 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir.  I  was  making  an  entry  in  one 
of  my  books  at  the  time.  The  keys  were  laid  on  my 
desk,  and  the  after-hold  reported  secure  for  the  night. 
I  believed  at  the  time,  and  did  believe  till  the  evidence 
of  my  own  senses  assured  me  I  was  mistaken,  that  Mr. 
Somers  was  the  person  who  had  reported,"  continued  the 
master,  very  much  annoyed  and  confused  by  the  situa- 
tion in  which  he  found  himself  placed. 

Captain  Waldron  was  as  much  mystified  by  the  ex- 
planation as  he  had  been  by  the  fact  of  the  midshipman's 
disappearance.  If  Mr.  Somers  had  not  returned  the 
keys  to  the  master,  who  had  ?  On  this  point  Mr.  Tubbs 
and  the  two  master's  mates  had  been  questioned  ;  but 
they  could  not  solve  the  problem.  Neither  of  them  had 
13* 


150  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

returned  the  keys  to  Mr.  Greene.  As  no  further  informa- 
tion could  be  obtained,  the  officers  returned  to  their  usual 
duty,  and  the  captain,  in  despair,  gave  up  the  attempt  to 
unveil  the  mystery.  Mr.  Somers  went  to  the  mess-room 
to  obtain  his  breakfast.  Mr.  Tubbs  and  Mr.  Thompson 
had  preceded  him. 

*' Well,  Mr.  Somers,  may  I  be  allowed  to  inquire  how 
you  liked  your  quarters  last  night  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Tubbs, 
when  Mingo,  the  mess  steward,  had  gone  for  the  absen- 
tee's breakfast. 

"  As  well  as  could  be  expected,  Mr.  Tubbs,"  replied 
Somers,  with  the  most  provoking  good  nature  ;  for  our 
hero  was  expected,  under  the  circumstances,  to  be  very 
much  dissatisfied,  and  veiy  indignant. 

"  I  am  glad  you  liked  them  ;  but  I  suppose  you  got  used 
to  such  accommodations  when  you  were  before  the  mast." 

"O,  yes,"  replied  Somers,  refusing  to  take  offence  at  the 
intended  insult.     "  I  have  slept  in  worse  places  than  that." 

"  By  the  way,  Mr.  Somers,  it  is  a  little  strange  how 
you  contrived  to  lock  the  door  of  the  store-room,  and 
give  the  key  to  Mr.  Brown,  while  you  were  shut  up  in 
the  room,"  added  Tubbs,  facetiously. 

"  Mr.  Brown  explains  that." 

"Does  he?" 

"  Yes.  He  suggests  that  it  was  my  ghost  who  gave 
him  the  keys.  I  think  it  was  a  ghost,  but  one  of  ianother 
color  ;  a  fellow  about  your  height,  Tubbs." 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        151 

*'Do  yon  mean  to  say  tliat  I  locked  you  up  in  the 
store-room?"  demanded  Tubbs,  his  face  turning  red. 

"  If  it  -wasn't  you,  it  wasn't  anybody  else,"  answered 
Somers,  with  a  pleasant  laugh. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  you  make  a  grave  charge  against  me. 
You  took  occasion  last  evening  to  make  a  quarrel 
with  me  —  " 

"  I  took  occasion  to  make  a  quarrel  with  you  !  "  ex- 
claimed Somers.  "  Why,  man,  you  pitched  into  me  as 
though  you  had  a  seven  years'  grudge  to  wipe  out." 

"  I  made  some  playful  remarks,  and  you  took  advan- 
tage of  them  to  insult  me.  During  your  absence  I  was 
compelled  to  suffer  on  account  of  the  words  we  had. 
In  short,  I  was  suspected  of  having  helped  you  over- 
board, or  spirited  you  away  in  some  other  mysterious 
manner.  If  you  hadn't  returned  as  you  did,  I  have  no 
doubt  I  should  have  been  accused  of  your  murder." 

"  That's  so,"  muttered  Thompson. 

"  If  there  is  any  man  I  despise,  it  is  one  that  wants  to 
get  up  a  quarrel  in  the  mess-room,"  added  Mr.  Tubbs, 
with  the  utmost  self-complacency. 

"  I  am  exactly  of  your  mind,  Mr.  Tubbs,"  said  Somers. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  accuse  me  of  getting  up  a  quarrel 
in  the  mess  ?  " 

"As  I  am  not  disposed  to  get  up  another  quarrel,  we 
will  drop  that,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Tubbs,"  replied  Som- 
ers, as  Mingo  brought  in  his  breakfast. 

"  After  you  have  insulted  a  gentleman,  you  want  to  let 


132  THE    YANKEE    MiUDW    Oil 

it  drop.  I  know  all  about  you,  Mr.  Somers.  You  have 
iusulted  me,  and  3'ou  will  fmd  it  no  easy  matter  to  let  it 
drop,  as  you  call  it." 

"  Mr.  Tubbs,  you  will  oblige  me  by  holding  your 
tongue  long  enough  for  me  to  eat  my  breakfast,"  con- 
tinued Somers,  playfully. 

But  the  irate  middy  "was  in  no  mood  for  a  playful 
remark,  and  he  worked  himself  up  into  a  passion,  though 
Somers  took  no  further  notice  of  him. 

"  Shut  up  ! "  said  Thompson,  who  was  trying  to  im- 
prove his  mind  in  the  mysteries  of  gi'eat  circle  sailing, 
and  was  much  disturbed  by  the  vaporings  of  the  angry 
youngster. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  the  day  of  reckoning  will  come,  and 
come  soon.  I  want  you  to  understand  that  I  cannot  be 
insulted  with  impunity,  and  you  have  done  it  twice. 
Will  you  apologize  or  fight  ?  "     , 

"  Neither,"  replied  Somers,  as  he  stuffed  half  a  biscuit 
into  his  mouth.  "  But  if  you  will  let  me  eat  my  break- 
fast in  peace,  I  will  talk  over  the  matter  with  you  when 
you  are  entirely  cool ;  then,  if  I  have  done  anything 
wrong,  I  shall  be  happy  to  make  it  all  right  with  you." 

"  No  words  over  an  insult,"  foamed  Tubbs.  "  I  will 
give  you  till  eight  bells  to  apologize  ;  if  you  don't  do  it, 
you  may  look  out  for  breakers." 

"Bah  !  "  growled  Thompson,  in  a  significant  tone  ;  but 
for  some  reason  or  other,  Mr.  Tubbs  refused  to  consider 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        153 

himscilf  insulted   by  anything  wliicli  the  burly  master's 
mate  could  say. 

Mr.  Tubbs  went  on  deck,  and  Somers  finished  his 
breakfast— ^vhich  was  an  ^unusually  long  operation  in 
the  present  instance  —  without  further  annoyance. 

'^  Mr.  Thompson,  who  do  you  suppose  locked  me  in 
the  Store-room?"  he  asked,  when  he  had  finished. 

"  Tubbs." 

"  AVhat  makes  you  think  so?  " 

"  The  row." 

"  I  am  satisfied  myself,  but  there  is  no  evidence." 

'^  No." 

"In  my  opinion  Tubbs  followed  me  into  the  hold  to 
get  up  a  fight  with  me  ;  and  when  he  saw  me  in  the 
store-room,  he  took  his  revenge  by  locking  me  in." 

"  Told  you,"  added  the  mate,  raising  his  eyes  from  his 
book  for  the  first  time. 

"Told  me  what?" 

"  To  look  out." 

"  So  you  did  ;  but  I  didn't  think  of  his  playing  a  little 

dirty  trick  on  me." 
"  Malicious  wretch." 
"  I  will  keep  my  eye  on  him  after  this." 

"  Do." 

To  Somers  and  Thompson  the  mystery  was  satisfac- 
torily explained ;  but  as  there  was  not  a  particle  of 
proof  of  Tubbs's  agency  in  the  matter,  they  agreed  that 
it  was  useless  to  ?ay  anything. 


154 


THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


MR.    TUBES    BECOMES    BLOODY-MINDED. 


R.  TUBES  was  not  satisfied  —  he  was  very- 
far  from  being  satisfied.  He  felt  that  the 
"honored  name  he  bore"  was  suffering  for 
an  expiatory  sacrifice,  for  it  had  been  igno- 
miniously  punned  upon  —  used  as  a  synonyme  of  a  vul- 
gar household  utensil,  closely  allied  to  dirty  shirts  and 
befouled  dickies.  He  was  evidently  spoiling  for  a  quar- 
rel with  Mr.  Somers.  He  made  no  issues  with  the  mas- 
ter's mates  ;  and  it  looked  very  much  as  though  he  had  a 
special  object  in  picking  a  fight  with  his  brother  middy. 

He  was  silly  enough  to  do  any  ridiculous  thing ;  and 
before  noon  he  rushed  down  into  the  mess-room  with  a 
desperate  resolve  burning  in  his  heated  brain.  Taking 
his  bag  from  beneath  his  berth,  he  drew  from  it  a  dirty 
portfolio,  into  which  his  papers  had  been  thrust  without 
order  or  method.  He  searched  diligently  for  a  clean 
sheet  of  note  paper,  but  he  did  not  find  it.  Taking  tl;G 
nearest  approach  to  it  he  could  find,  he  sat  down  at  tli© 
table,  and  ^^T0te  this  luminous  epistle  :  — 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        155 

Mr.  John  Somers.  Sir  :  You  have  insulted  me,  and 
you  have  refused  to  apologize.  There  is  but  one  alterna- 
tive among  gentlemen,  and  I  take  this  method  of  formally 
demanding  the  satisfaction  which  nothing  but  blood  can 
wash  from  the  stain  upon  mine  honor. 

By  communicating  your  answer  in  writing,  you  will 
greatly  oblige 

Yours,  respectfully, 

Timothy  Tubes. 

T\'ith  convulsive  energy  Mr.  Tubbs  folded  this  savage 
document  and  thrust  it  within  an  envelope. 

"  Mr.  Somers,"  said  he,  as  he  laid  the  note  upon  the 
table  at  which  the  object  of  his  wrath  was  still  seated. 

"  What's  this  ?  —  a  challenge  ?  "  laughed  Somers. 

"  Read  for  yourself,"  replied  Mr.  Tubbs,  as  he  sailed 
out  of  the  mess-room,  unwilling,  perhaps,  to  trust  him- 
self any  longer  in  the  presence  of  his  enemy. 

Somers  read  it,  and  laughed  again.  He  handed  it  to 
Thompson,  who  read  it,  and  laughed  also. 

"  Savage,"  said  Thompson,  as  he  returned  the  note. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  accept  it,  or  be  branded  as  a  cow- 
ard," added  Somers,  as  he  turned  the  dangerous  paper 
over  in  his  hands,  as  persons  often  do,  when  they  have 
read  a  letter,  to  ascertain  if  there  is  any  more  of  it. 

"  Bosh  !  "  ejaculated  Thompson. 

In  the  present  instance  there  was  something  more  in 
the  letter  to  reward  the  receiver  for  his  search  —  some- 


158  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

thing  which  seemed    to  be  of  greater  importance  than 

the  silly  challenge  it  was  intended  to  convey.     On  the 

third  page  there  was  another  note,  which  Mr.  Tubbs  had 

turned  in  without  noticing  it.     As  it  was  part  and  parcel 

of  the  terrible  document  which  Somers  had  received,  he 

ventured  to  read  it,  as  follows  :  — 

"Wednesday. 

My  dear  Tubes  :  I  am  sorry  I  was  not  able  to  see 
you  last  night,  as  arranged.  The  unexpected  arrival  of 
a  business  associate  prevented  me  from  keeping  the  ap- 
pointment, which  you  will  please  excuse.  My  offer  is 
still  open,  and  will  remain  so.  I  don't  know  of  any 
easier  way  by  which  you  can  make  five  thousand  dollars, 
and  thus  relieve  your  father's  present  necessities. 

Yours,  ever, 

P.  Kenxedy. 

"  Five  thousand  dollars  !  "  exclaimed  Somers,  when 
he  had  read  the  note.  "  That's  a  great  deal  of  money, 
and  I  hope  it  was  not  offered  for  doing  any  mean  or 
wicked  act." 

Thompson  did  not  understand  this  remark,  and  it 
was  too  great  an  effort  to  ask  an  explanation  ;  therefore 
he  said  nothing.  Somers  was  serious  now,  for  this  note 
from  Kennedy  was  suggestive.  Tubbs  had  been  offered 
a  large  sum  of  money  for  doing  some  unwritten  act. 
Coles  had  been  offered  double  tlie  sum  to  deliver  him  as 
a  prisoner  on  board  of  the  Snowden.     Tubbs  had  mani- 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        157 

fcsted  a  decided   hostility  towards  him    since  the  first 
moment  they  met. 

There  was  no  date  to  the  note,  only  the  day  of  the 
week  ;  and  the  only  thing  that  it  proved  was  the  fact  of 
a  negotiation  of  some  kind  with  Phil  Kennedy.  He  sus- 
pected that  the  offer  related  to  himself — that  at  the 
most  convenient  time  he  was,  by  some  underhand  means, 
to  be  given  into  the  power  of  the  rebels.  He  was  not 
willing  to  believe  anything  worse  than  this  of  Mr.  Tubbs, 
malicious  as  he  had  shown  himself. 

If  Somers's  supposition  was  correct,  Mr.  Phil  Ken- 
nedy had  been  singularly  unfortunate  in  the  choice  of 
the  instrument  of  his  evil  purpose.  Tubbs  was  little 
better  than  an  idiot ;  and  by  his  display  of  hostility 
towards  his  assumed  victim,  he  had  almost  destroyed  his 
chance  of  carrying  out  his  plan,  whatever  it  was. 

Somers  decided  to  take  no  notice  of  the  challenge  at 
present,  but  to  keep  both  eyes  wide  open  to  defeat  any 
evil  intention  his  messmate  might  cherish.  He  did  not 
see  Tubbs  again  till  dinner-time,  when  that  gentleman 
seemed  to  be  cooler  and  more  reasonable  than  when  they 
had  last  met. 

^'  You  received  my  note,  Mr.  Somers?"  said  he,  after 
dinner,  when  they  happened  to  be  alone. 

"  I  did." 

"  Have  you  a  note  in  reply?" 

"  No,  sir." 

14 


158  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  What  have  you  to  say  in  regard  to  the  contents  of 
my  note  ?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  about  it?" 

"  Nothing,  unless  I  hand  it  to  the  first  lieutenant," 
replied  Somers. 

"  I  might  have  expected  that ;  but  I  will  do  you  the 
justice  to  say,  Mr.  Somers,  that  I  did  not  expect  it.  If 
there  is  any  person  I  despise  in  the  mess,  it  is  a  tattler. 
I  have  never  believed  you  to  be  a  gentleman  of  that 
description,"  replied  Tubbs,  who  was  evidently  much  in 
dread  of  such  a  disaster. 

"What  did  you  mean  by  the  note,  Mr.  Tubbs?" 
demanded  Somers,  who  could  not  lose  sight  of  the 
ludicrous  event  which  the  contents  of  the  epistle  sug- 
gested. 

*'  Don't  you  understand  it?" 

*'  It  looked  very  much  like  a  proposition  to  fight  a 
duel ;  but  as  I  don't  believe  you  have  courage  enough  to 
do  anything  of  that  kind,  I  confess  I  am  very  much  in 
doubt  in  regard  to  its  real  signification." 

Mr.  Tubbs  looked  as  dark  and  threatening  as  a  thun- 
der-cloud. Another  insult  had  been  added  to  the  list  of 
his  grievances,  real  or  imaginary. 

"  I  meant  to  fight,  Mr.  Somers  !  Can  you  understand 
that?"  said  Tubbs,  with  emphasis. 

"  Where  ?  —  here  in  the  mess-room  ?  " 


THE   ADVEXTLRES    OB-  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         159 

"  The  time  and  place  are  after-considerations,  which 
can  be  adjusted  when  you  accept  the  challenge." 

"IIow  would  the  fore-yard  do  for  tlie  conflict?'* 
laughed  Somers.  *'  I  will  take  the  lee,  while  you  percli 
yoiirself  on  the  weather  yard-arm.  That  would  be  a 
novel  idea  in  duelling,  and  it  would  afford  half  an  hour's 
amusement  for  the  whole  ship's  company.  "What  do  you 
say?" 

"  You  may  treat  this  matter  as  lightly  as  you  please. 
I  am  in  earnest,  and  I  will  convince  you  that  I  have  the 
courage  to  fight  a  duel." 

"  If  that  is  your  object,  you  may  soon  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  show  your  pluck  in  a  more  sensible  way  —  in 
close  conflict  with  the  enemies  of  your  country." 

"  This  is  subterfuge,  sir.  In  plain  words,  sir,  will 
you  apologize,  or  will  you  fight?"  demanded  Tubbs, 
working  himself  up  into  a  frenzy  beneath  the  galling 
sarcasm  of  his  cooler  companion. 

"  In  plain  words,  Mr.  Tubbs,  I  will  not  fight,  nor  apolo- 
gize. I  will  talk  the  matter  over  in  a  friendly  way  with, 
you,  and  if  I  have  done  anything  wrong,  I  will  make  it 
all  right.     That's  all  I  have  to  say  about  it." 

'*  Then  I  brand  you  as  a  coward  !  "  exclaimed  Tubbs, 
bringing  his  fist  down  on  the  table. 

*'  You  can  brand  me  as  much  as  you  please.  Xow, 
sir,  you  have  carried  this  ridiculous  fiirce  far  enough,  and 
if  you  allude  to  it  again,  I  will  hand  your  note  to  the 
first  lieutenant." 


IGO  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  might  have  expected  that,"  said  Mr.  Tiibbs,  in 
utter  disgust.     "  But  the  day  of  retribution  Avill  come." 

"  Let  it  come  ;  when  it  does,  I  am  ready  for  it.  I  will 
not  light  a  duel  with  any  man,  least  of  all  with  a  little 
bully  like  you.*' 

"  'Sdeath,  sir  !  "  ejaculated  Tubbs,  springing  to  his  feet. 

*'  Keep  cool,  Tubbs.  I  have  only  one  word  more  to  say. 
I  have  listened  to  your  nonsense  till  I  am  disgusted  with 
it  and  with  you.  If  you  should  venture  to  put  a  finger 
on  me,  in  carrying  out  any  of  your  notions  of  retribu- 
tion, I  will  thrash  you  so  that  you  will  remember  it  to 
the  end  of  your  natural  life." 

"  You  are  insolent,  sir,"  said  Tubbs,  more  tamely. 

"  I  can  afford  to  be,  under  all  the  provocation  you 
have  given  me.  In  conclusion,  Mr.  Tubbs,  if  yoii  pro- 
pose to  deliver  me  over  to  your  friend  Mr.  Philip  Ken- 
nedy, and  put  five  thousand  dollars  into  your  pocket  by 
the  operation,  you  must  do  the  job  within  a  very  few  days." 

With  this  remark  Somers  rose  from  the  table,  and  ab- 
ruptly left  the  mess-room.  Mr.  Tubbs  wilted ;  his  face 
turned  deadly  pale,  and  his  knees  smote  each  other  in 
the  extremity  of  his  terror.  Somers  must  be  in  commu- 
nication with  the  evil  one  —  else  wliere  had  he  obtained 
a  secret  which  was  locked  up  in  the  breasts  of  himself 
and  his  co-conspirator?  It  was  strange,  it  was  unac- 
countable ;  and  he  racked  his  slender  brain  to  explain  how 
Kennedy's  offer  had  become  known  to  the  person  who 
had  the  least  risht  to  know  it. 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF  A    XAVAL    OFFICER.  161 

Neither  Mr.  Tubbs's  memory  nor  his  speculations  af- 
forded him  the  slightest  clew  to  the  mystery.  He  was 
perplexed  and  troubled,  and  endured  the  most  intense 
sufferings  in  view  of  an  expected  exposure  of  his  pur- 
pose. He  behaved  himself  with  the  utmost  propriety 
during  the  succeeding  three  days  ;  in  fact,  he  was  as  sub- 
dued and  tame  as  a  whipped  poodle. 

"  Mr.  Somers,"  said  Tubbs,  on  the  third  day  after  the 
conversation  in  regard  to  the  duel,  "  may  I  beg  the  favor 
of  a  few  moments'  private  conversation  with  you?" 

"  If  you  wish  to  talk  about  your  challenge,  I  must  de- 
cline," replied  Somers,  promptly. 

"  I  do  not ;  I  concluded  to  accept  your  apology." 

"What  apology?"  demanded  Somers. 

''  You  observed  that  if  you  had  done  me  any  wrong, 
you  would  make  it  all  right.  That  is  the  spirit  of  a  gen- 
tleman, and  I  am  entirely  satisfied.  At  the  close  of  that 
interview  you  made  a  most  extraordinary  remark." 

"  I  wasn't  aware  of  it." 

"  Something  about  my  friend,  —  and  yours,  I  trust, — 
Mr.  Philip  Kennedy." 

"Well,  Mr..  Tubbs." 

"  And  about  a  sum  of  money  —  five  thousand  dollars, 
I  think  you  said." 
"  Well,  Mr.  Tubbs." 
"  It  was  a  very  extraordinary  remark." 
"  Possibly  it  was." 
U* 


162  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

*•■  Will  you  do  me  the  favor  to  explain  that  remark?  ' 
said  Mr.  Tubbs,  with  the  most  insinuating  eloquence. 

"  It  explained  itself." 

"  But  it  was  incomprehensible  to  me." 

"  O,  well,  let  it  drop,  then  !  If  there  is  anything  in  it, 
it  will  come  out  in  due  time.  I  wouldn't  worry  myself 
about  it." 

"  But  if  I  remember  rightly,  it  involved  a  very  grave 
charge  against  me." 

"  Perhaps  it  did." 

*'  AVill  you  be  so  kind  as  to  give  me  the  name  of  your 
informant  —  in  other  words,  the  person  who  fastens  such 
a  disreputable  charge  upon  me  ?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  dare  to  do  it,  my  dear  Tubbs,"  replied 
Soraers,  with  a  tantalizing  smile. 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  you  would  challenge  the  poor  fellow,  and 
shoot  him  down  in  cold  blood." 

"  I  give  you  my  word  and  honor  that  I  will  not  molest 
him." 

"  I  don't  know"  that  it  is  exactly  safe  to  trust  such  a 
sanguinary  person  as  you  are  in  a  delicate  matter  of  this 
description." 

"  Pray  be  serious,  ^Ir.  Somers.  This  is  a  matter  of 
great  importance  to  me.  Of  course  you  did  not  believe 
the  nefarious  charge.  Some  one  has  been  taking  liberties 
with  my  good  name.     My  reputation,  which  is  far  dearer 


THE   ADIEXTLRES    OF   A    XAVAL    OFFlCEIi.        163 

to  me  than  life  itself,  is  involved  in  this  cruel  imputatiou. 
You  owe  it  to  me,  as  a  shipmate,  to  give  me  the  name 
of  the  person  from  whom  you  obtained  this  false  im- 
putation.'* 

"  Really,  you  must  excuse  me,  Mr.  Tubbs.'* 

"  Just  give  me  his  name.  An  enemy  hath  done  this 
thing,  and  I  wish  merely  to  defend  my  omti  character. 
Give  me  his  name,  only  his  name,  and  I  will  ask  nothing 
more." 

"  Xothing  more  ?  " 

"  Xot  another  particular." 

*'  Then  I  will  give  you  his  name,"  replied  Somers, 
biting  his  lips  to  repress  a  struggling  smile. 

"  Thank  you  —  nothing  but  his  name.  I  shall  under- 
stand it  all  then  —  only  his  name." 

*'  Mr.  Timothy  Tubbs,"  replied  Somers,  rising  and 
hastening  out  of  the  mess-room. 

Mr.  Tubbs  was  not  satisfied. 


164  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

LATITUDE    FORTY-ONE,    LONGITUDE    SIXTY-TWO. 


C 


'HE  Rosalie  took  her  "  departure  "  from  Sandy 
Hook  at  four  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon. 
She  had  to  make  nearly  six  hundred  miles 
before  she  could  reach  the  latitude  and  longitude  to  which 
the  commander's  orders  required  him  to  proceed.  But 
as  she  had  about  six  days  and  a  half  to  accomplish  this 
distance,  Captain  "\Yaldron  had  but  little  doubt  of  his 
ability  to  obey  his  instructions.  Under  favorable  circum- 
stances, he  would  have  had  two  or  three  days  to  spare. 
It  happened  that  she  .had  several  days  of  light  or  head 
winds  ;  and  when  the  master  had  reported  the  position  of 
the  ship  on  the  Friday  following,  at  meridian,  the  captaiu 
had  some  serious  doubts  about  the  success  of  his  expedi- 
tion, especially  as  the  sea  at  this  time  was  hardly  ruflled 
by  a  breeze,  and  the  log  showed  that  the  schooner  was 
making  only  three  knots  an  hour. 

Captain  "Waldron  was  very  nervous  and  uneasy.  He 
paced  the  deck  impatiently,  occasionally  tasting  his  eyes 
to  windward,  as  if  invoking  the  favor  of  a  fresh  breeze. 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF    A    XAVAL    OFFICER.        1G5 

Ills  instructions  informed  liim  that  a  steamer  would  be 
gent  to  assist  in  the  capture  of  the  Snowdcn,  if  one  was 
available.  He  hoped  to  accomplish  his  work  before  any- 
such  aid  arrived,  and  he  was  anxious  to  make  out  his 
expected  prize  before  the  daylight  betrayed  the  true  char- 
acter of  his  vessel  to  the  blockade-runner. 

Hour  after  hour  he  paced  the  deck,  and  at  eight  bells 
in  the  afternoon  he  was  absolutely  in  despair,  for  the 
wind  had  subsided  almost  to  a  calm. 

"Did  you  hear  anything  about  waiting  for  the 
schooner?"  asked  Captain  Waldron,  as  he  called  Soraers 
over  to  the  weather  side  of  the  deck. 

"  No,  sir  ;  but  I  should  suppose  that  would  be  under- 
stood," replied  Somers. 

"  It  looks  bad  for  us  just  now.  If  we  don't  have  a 
wind,  we  cannot  reach  the  spot  in  season." 

"  I  think  the  Snowdeh  will  wait,  for  Kennedy  expects 
Coles  to  go  with  him  into  Wilmington." 

Somers  went  over  to  the  lee  side  again,  which  is  the 
part  assigned  to  midshipmen,  and  masten^s  mates,  and 
commissioned  officers  not  on  duty,  while  the  weather  side 
is  exclusively  appropriated  to  the  captain  and  the  officer 
of  the  deck. 

Shortly  after,  it  was  a  dead  calm,  and  the  sails  of  the 
Rosalie  hung  useless  from  the  spars,  flapping  idly,  as  the 
vessel  rolled  on  the  long  swell  of  the  ocean.  The 
captain  looked  as  blue   as  a  whetstone;    and  the  more 


166  THE    YAXKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

the  vessel  didn't  go,  the  faster  he  walked  np  and  down 
the  quarter-deck.  His  example  was  contagious,  and  the 
"  people"  looked  as  if  there  had  been  a  funeral  on  hoard. 

Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  tried  to  keep  cool,  but  it  was 
hard  work.  Only  a  few  of  the  officers  on  board  besides 
himself  knew  the  destination  of  the  vessel,  and  the  de- 
pression of  the  rest,  and  of  the  crew,  was  wholly  from 
sympathy,  or  from  the  natural  effects  of  a  calm  at  sea, 
which  is  the  bluest  thing  in  the  vocabulary  of  a  sailor. 
There  was  an  evident  want  of  faith  on  board,  from  the 
captain  down  to  the  side-boys,  which  nothing  but  a  lively 
breeze  could  dissipate. 

Fortunately  for  the  captain's  peace  of  mind,  if  not  for 
the  actual  preservation  of  his  sanity,  —  for  he  was  now 
walking  at  a  fearful  pace,  —  at  two  bells,  in  the  first  dog- 
watch, a  change  came  over  the  bosom  of  the  throbbing 
ocean.  A  slight  ripple  was  observed  far  to  the  south- 
ward, which  travelled  slowly  up  towards  the  Rosalie. 
The  last  wind  had  come  from  the  north-east,  and  she  had 
her  port  tack^  aboard  ;  but  before  "  the  breath  of  the 
gentle  south,"  as  Mr.  Walker,  the  senior  master's  mate, 
who  was  a  salt-water  poet,  called  it,  the  sails  were 
trimmed  on  the  other  tack. 

The  wind  struck  the  waiting  sails,  and  the  captain 
very  sensibly  abated  the  speed  of  his  monotonous  peram- 
bulation. It  came  fresher  in  a  few  minutes,  and  he 
''  planked  the  deck "  more  like  a  sane    man.     At   four 


THE    ADVEXTUnrS    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        167 

bells  he  smiled  as  blandly  as  a  man  on  his  wedding  day, 
Avhen  the  ofTicer  of  the  deck  reported  that  the  ship  was 
making  ten  knots.  At  eight  bells  it  was  blowing  half  a 
gale,  and  the  captain,  mindful  of  the  safety  of  his  spars, 
ordered  the'  fore  square-sail  to  be  taken  in.  The  Rosalie 
was  now  flying  through  the  water,  and  Captain  Waldron 
was  providentially  saved  from  reporting  at  a  lunatic 
asylum  when  he  went  on  shore.  He  was  satisfied,  and 
went  below. 

If  the  decks  of  the  vessel,  reflecting  the  sombre  looks  of 
the  people,  had  worn  a  funereal  aspect  before,  it  now  looked 
like  feast  time  on  board.  The  officers  on  duty  walked 
with  a  buoyant  step,  and  the  old  sheet-anchor  men  spun 
jolly  yarns  about  festive  scenes  on  ship  and  shore,  instead 
of  gloomy  tales  of  blood  and  death,  inspired  by  the  de- 
pressing influence  of  the  calm. 

Even  Mr.  Midshipman  Tubbs  was  happy  ;  for,  what- 
ever else  he  knew,  he  was  not  aware  that  only  a  few 
leagues  lay  between  him  and  his  particular  friend,  Mr. 
Philip  Kennedy.  He  had  no  suspicion  that  his  confiding 
co-conspirator  was  in  immediate  danger  of  being  "  gob- 
bled up."  He  was  happy  because  others  were ;  and, 
seeing  everybody  so  good-natured,  he  ventured  again  to 
open  the  subject  nearest  to  his  heart  to  Somers. 

"You  promised  not  to  ask  me  anything  but  the  name 
of  my  informant,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  Yes,  but  your  answer  was  a  jest,  a  mere  evasion ; 


168  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

for  how  could  I  have  informed  you  of  that  which  never 
entered  into  my  head." 

*•  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Tubbs,  I  told  you  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 

"  Come,  come,  Somers,  this  is  absurd ;  you  trifle  with 
my  feelings.  I  am  only  anxious  to  vindicate  my  fair 
fame." 

"  I  must  hold  you  to  your  promise,  Mr.  Tubbs  ;  but  I 
will  add,  for  your  consolation,  that  you  will  probably 
have  an  opportunity  to  vindicate  your  fair  fame  in  the 
courses  of  the  next  twelve  hours.  I  hope  you  will  be 
able  to  do  it  successfully." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Somers  —  " 

"  You  must  excuse  me  if  I  decline  to  hold  any  further 
conversation  with  you." 

"  If  there  is  anjiihing  I  despise  in  the  mess-room,  Mr. 
Somers,  it  is  mystery,"  replied  Tubbs,  impatiently. 

"  So  do  I ;  therefore  1  advise  you  to  make  a  clean 
breast  of  it." 

"  You  speak  in  riddles,"  added  Tubbs,  more  tamely. 
"  You  seem  to  imply  that  I  have  some  designs  against 
you."  * 

"  I  don't  imply  it ;  I  say  it.  Now,  I  am  as  curious  to 
know  in  what  manner  you  proposed  to  hand  me  over  as  a 
prisoner  to  the  rebels,  as  you  are  to  know  how  I  obtained 
my  information." 

"  I  hand  you  over  to  the  rebels?     Why,  that  would 


THE   AD  TEXTURES    OF    A     XAVAL    OFFICER.         1C9 

be  treason  ;  it  would  be  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  the 
enemy." 

"  It  is  liable  to  that  construction." 

"  That  is  a  grave  charge,"  added  Tubbs,  shaking  his 
head. 

'*  If  you  wish  to  own  up,  I  will  give  you  all  the  infor- 
mation in  my  power.     Will  you  do  it  ?  —  yes  or  no  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  will  not,  for  no  such  thought  ever 
entered  my  head." 

*'  I  have  nothing  more  to  say.  I  must  turn  in  now, 
for  it  is  my  watch  at  twelve." 

Somers  did  turn  in,  and  Mr.  Tubbs  left  the  mess-room 
more  bewildered  and  uneasy  than  ^before.  The  latter 
was  what  is  technically  called  an  "  idler  "  on  board  ship. 
This  term  is  applied  to  officers  and  others  who  are 
not  in  either  of  the  watches,  being  what  is  called  "  day 
officers."  The  captain  and  executive  officer,  who  occupy 
the  most  responsible  positions  on  board,  are,  by  this 
queer  anomaly,  the  principal  idlers.  Mr.  Tubbs  was  on 
duty  on  the  berth-deck  during  the  day ;  hence  he  was  an 
idler,  which  will  account  for  his  being  in  the  mess-room 
with  Somers  during  som^^  of  the  long  conversations  we 
have  had  occasion  to  report.  Mr.  Tubbs  could  obtain 
no  satisfaction  below ;  so  he  went  on  deck,  to  nurse  the 
venom  of  his  discontent,  leaving  Somers  to  sleep  out  his 
watch  below. 

The  wind  continued  to  blow  very  fresh  all  night,  and 
15 


170  THE    YAXKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

the  captain  was  happily  relieved  from  all  doubts  and  fear, 
on  that  account.  Although  we  are  not  permitted  to  in- 
vade the  sanctity  of  the  captain's  cabin,  we  will  venture 
to  say  that  he  did  not  sleep  much  during  that  anxious 
night.  At  six  bells  he  was  up  and  dressed,  engaged  in 
overhauling  certain  reports  which  had  been  made  to  him 
in  regard  to  the  position  of  the  vessel.  When  he  had 
carefully  examined  the  sailing-master's  figures,  he  went 
on  deck. 

It  was  seven  bells  in  the  mid-watch,  or  half  past  three 
in  the  morning,  when  he  took  his  place  by  the  side  of  the 
officer  of  the  deck. 

"  Sail  ho  !  "  shouted  the  forecastle  man,  who  had  been 
stationed  on  the  fore-yard  as  a  special  lookout. 

"  Sail  ho  !  '*  repeated  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers. 

"Where  away?"  demanded  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"  On  the  lee  bow,  showing  a  green  light  and  a  whit© 
light.'* 

"  That's  a  steamer  ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  when  the 
report  reached  him. 

All  steamers  belonging  to  the  United  States,  as  well  as 
English,  French,  Dutch,  and  Russian  steam  vessels,  carry, 
in  the  night,  a  bright  white  light  at  the  foremast  head,  a 
green  light  on  the  starboard  side,  and  a  red  light  on  the 
port  side.  •  This  is  done  in  order  to  prevent  collisions  at 
sea  ;  but  it  also  enables  those  in  charge  of  other  vessels  to 
tell  which  way  the  steamer  is  going.     Suppose  the  reader 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  ^4    XAVAL    OFFICER.         171 

is  stuuding  on  the  forecastle  of  the  Rosalie,  and  sees  a 
red  and  a^green  light  with  a  white  one  between  them; 
then  the  steamer  is  approaching  you. 

The  white  light,  which  is  placed  higher  on  the  vessel 
than  the  colored  ones,  should  be  seen,  in  a  clear  night, 
at  the  distance  of  five  miles.     It  is  the  warning  light. 
The  red  and  green  lights,  being  lower  down,  can  be  seen 
only  two  or  three  miles.     If  the  lookout  sees  the  white 
light,  he  watches  till  the  others,  or  one  of  them,  can  be 
se'en.     If  the  Rosalie  were  headed  to  the  east,  and  a  red 
light  only  were  reported,  her  commander  would  know 
that  the  steamer  was  coming  up  from  the    southward; 
for  then  she  would  show  her  port  side.     If  the  green  light 
were  seen,  it  would  prove  that  she  was  coming  from  the 
north.     If  any  of  our  young  readers  wish  to  remember 
this  explanation,  so  that  they  may  test  it  when  they  go 
to  sea,  they  have  only  to  call  to  mind  the  fact  that  port 
^vine   is  red  — port  is  the  side,  and  red  the  color.     If 
they  cannot  remember  the  color  on  the  other  side,  they 
have  only  to  think  how  green  they  are  in  a  knowledge  of 
nautical  night  signals. 

The  green  light  seen  over  the  port  bow  assured  Cap- 
tain ^Ildi'on  that  the  steamer  was  coming  from  the 
north,  and  that  her  course  was  at  right  angles  with  that 
of  the  Rosalie.  He  had  no  doubt  that  the  steamer  was 
the  Snowden,  and  his  hopes  run  high.  The  circum- 
Btauces  could  hardly  have  been  more  favorable,  for  the 


172  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

wind  was  fresli  enough  to  make  the  schooner  almost,  if 
not  quite,  a  match  for  tlie  Suowdcn  in  point  of  speed. 
But  the  captain  did  not  care  to  reduce  the  question 
to  a  mere  matter  of  speed  ;  so  he  ordered  the  signal 
quarter-master  to  burn  blue  lights  on  the  quarter  of 
the  Ivosalie. 

The  steamer  replied  by  burning  another  blue  light ;  and 
her  identity  was  fully  established.  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy 
had  precisely  carried  out  his  part  of  the  arrangement ; 
but  it  soon  appeared  from  the  movements  of  the  Snow- 
den,  that  he  had  no  intention  of  being  boarded,  at  present, 
by  his  fellow-conspirator.  Instead  of  bearing  down  for 
the  schooner,  he  held  his  course  to  the  southward,  occa- 
sionally burning  a  blue  light,  to  assure  the  schooner  that 
she  was  aware  of  her  presence. 

Captain  "W^aldron  was  perplexed  at  first,  but  he  finally 
interpreted  the  movement  to  mean  that  he  must  wait  for 
daylight  before  he  boarded  her.  In  confirmation  of  this 
supposition,  it  was  found  that  the  Snowden  had  reduced 
her  speed  one  half  at  least.  The  Rosalie  could  not  fol- 
loAv  her,  as  the  wind  was  exactly  south  ;  but  she  came 
about  on  the  port  tack,  and  sailed  within  six  points  of 
her  course. 

The  Snowden  exhibited  no  intention  to  run  away,  and 
therefore  Captain  "Waldron  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to 
open  fire  upon  her,  and  thus  disclose  what  he  really  was. 
The  fifty-pounder  amidships  was  loaded,  ready  for  use. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        173 

This  Ugly  gun  would  betray  the  vessel  as  soon  as  there 
Mas  light  enough  to  make  it  out  on  board  of  the  Snow- 
den.  To  prevent  so  undesirable  a  recognition,  one  of  the 
boats  was  hoisted  on  board,  and  turned,  keel  up,  over 
the  piece.  The  broadside  guns  were  covered  with 
sails,  and  as  much  of  the  man-of-war  appearance  of  the 
schooner  as  time  would  permit  was  removed. 

At  daybreak  the  Rosalie  was  about  three  miles  from 
the  Snowden,  and  rather  to  the  windward  of  her,  Avhen 
the  latter  indicated  by  signal  that  she  was  ready  to  have 
the  schooner  approach.  The  critical  moment  was  at 
hand.  The  Rosalie  went  about  on  the  other  tack,  and 
easing  off  her  sheets,  went  off  towards  the  Snowden  with 
the  wind  abeam. 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  Rosalie  hove  to  under  the 
bows  of  the  steamer.  The  men,  except  those  necessary 
to  work  the  vessel,  were  sent  below,  and  there  was  as 
Ihtle  display  as  possible  of  "  blue  coats  and  brass  buttons'* 
on  the  quarter-deck.  One  of  the  quarter-boats  was  low- 
ered, and  Mr.  Jackson,  the  second  lieutenant,  was  ordered 
to  board  her.  Somers,  at  his  own  request,  was  allowed 
to  go  in  her.  The  men  were  armed  to  the  teeth,  for  i^ 
was  not  impossible  that  a  conflict  might  occur  ;  but  their 
arms  were  carefully  concealed  at  first,  and  another  boat 
was  in  readiness  to  pull  off  to  her  assistance  if  necessary. 
15* 


174  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER     XV. 

THE  SNOWDEN  AND  HER  COMMANDER, 

^VAPTArN"  WALDRON  had  at  first  objected 
/  1 1  to  the  request  of  Somers  to  go  in  the  boat, 
^^Jy  fearing  that  the  sight  of  him  might  raise  a 
suspicion  in  the  mind  of  the  commander  of  the  Snow- 
den.  But  our  Yankee  middy,  who  was  a  bit  of  a  law- 
yer as  well  as  a  sailor,  argued  that  his  presence  would 
be  the  very  thing  to  allay  any  suspicion  on  the  part  of 
Kennedy,  since  it  was  hoped,  if  not  expected,  that  he 
would  be  a  passenger  in  Coles's  schooner. 

"  "What  vessel  is  that?"  demanded  a  voice  on  the 
quarter-deck  of  the  Snowden,  as  the  boat  approached  the 
steamer. 

"  That's  Kennedy,"  said  Somers  to  Mr.  Jackson,  who 
had  been  partially  informed  iu  relation  to  the  event  in 
which  he  was  an  actor. 

"  The  Theban,  of  Xew  York,  with  caps  on  board," 
replied  the  second  lieutenant. 

"  All  right  1  "  shouted  JSIr.  Phil  Kennedy.'  "  ^Yhere 
is  Coles?" 


THE   ADVEXTlTiES    OF  A    XAVAL    OFFICER.        175 

"  On  board  the  schooner." 

"  AVhere  did  you  get  so  many  men?"  asked  Kennedy, 
when  he  saw  au  unusual  number  in  the  boat. 

"  They  are  good  fellows  that  want  a  passage  to  the 
south,  and  are  willing  to  ship  in  a  good  steamer  at  Wil- 
mington." 

"  All  right !  —  the  more  the  better,"  responded  Ken- 
nedy, to  whom  the  replies  were  sufficiently  intelligible. 

By  this  time  the  boat  came  up  under  the  lee  of  the 
Snowden,  abaft  the  paddle-box.  A  rope  was  thrown  to 
her,  and  she  was  hauled  up  at  the  accommodation 
ladder. 

*'  Ton  my  word  and  honor  as  a  gentleman  and  a 
sailor  I  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy,  who  had  grasped 
the  man-ropes,  and  Avas  now  looking  down  into  the  boat. 
"  Whom  have  you  there?  " 

"  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers,  the  prodigy,"  replied  Jack- 
son, who  had  been  instructed  in  his  part ;  for  it  was 
Tery  necessary  that  Mr.  Kennedy  should  be  kept  quiet 
until  force  enough  had  been  transferred  to  the  deck  of 
the  steamer  to  prevent  anything  like  reaction. 

If  the  commander  of  the  Snowden  suspected  any  foul 
play,  he  had  only  to  ring  the  bell  to  start  the  engine,  and 
the  boat  might  have  been  swamped  in  the  heavy  sea,  or 
at  least  placed  in  a  position  where  it  would  be  impossible 
for  the  gallant  blue-jackets  to  board  her. 

*'  Somers,  upon  my  word  !  "  added  Ivcuuedy  ;    "  Coles 


176  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

♦ 

is  a  jewel,  and  ought  to  be  made  an  admiral.  Come  on 
board.     Have  you  any  caps  in  the  boat?" 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir  ;  a  few,"  replied  Mr.  Jackson,  though  he 
neglected  to  say  there  was  a  head  under  each  one  of  them. 

"  Pass  them  up,  as  lively  as  possible." 

"  Let  some  of  these  men  come  on  board  first ;  they 
are  in  the  way  here." 

"  Pipe  them  up,  then." 

Mr.  Jackson  went  up  the  accommodation  ladder  first, 
and  was  followed  by  Somers.  Kennedy  looked  sharp  at 
the  second  lieutenant,  as  he  stepped  down  from  the  rail. 
He  evidently  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  uniform  he  had 
on,  though  Mr.  Jackson  wore  an  old  coat,  from  which 
the  shoulder-straps  and  sleeve-band  had  been  removed. 

"Who  are  you,  sir?"  demanded  Kennedy,  rather 
roughly,  as  he  stood  off  and  eyed  the  lieutenant. 

"  My  name  is  Jackson,  sir,  at  your  service  ;  and  I 
hope  to  obtain  a  position  on  board  of  this  vessel  when 
she  goes  into  commission,  even  if  it  is  no  better  one  than 
master's  mate." 

"  You  are  the  man  we  want,  then  ;  Coles  has  been 
doing  a  lively  business  in  Xew  York,"  added  Kennedy, 
as  the  old  salts,  who  had  been  carefully  instructed  to 
hold  their  tongues,  poured  in  upon  the  deck,  fourteen  in 
number.  "  These  are  good  fellows,  and  I  see  they  bring 
their  arms  with  them,  which  is  better  yet." 

"  Yes,  sir ;    when  we  heard  what   sort  of  a  man  we 


THE   ADf'EXTi'IiES    OF    A    XAVAL    OFFICER.        Ill 

•u'cre  to  liave  as  commander,  we  thought  it  likely  -we 
should  want  to  use  these  playthings  before  we  got  into 
port,"  replied  Jackson. 

"Very  likely  you  will,"  returned  Kennedy,  pleased 
with  the  compliment  contained  in  the  remark.  "  If  Coles 
will  consent,  we  will  capture  the  first  Yankee  ship  we 
meet." 

"  I  think  he  will  agree  to  it,  from  what  I  heard  him 
say." 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Somers,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you !  " 
exclaimed  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy,  who  had  hardly  removed 
his  eyes  from  our  middy  during  the  conversation  with 
the  second  lieutenant.  "  Pray,  how  did  you  leave  Miss 
Portington  ?  " 

"  She  was  in  excellent  health  and  spirits  the  last  time 
I  saw  her,"  replied  Somers,  in  a  tone  suited  to  the  trying 
occasion. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  she  was  well.  Possibly  she 
w^as  rather  sad  when  you  informed  her  of  your  intention 
to  leave  Newport." 

*'  She  did  not  seem  to  be  much  affected." 

'*  And  how  were  the  rest  of  the  family  in  Newport?  " 
continued  Kennedy,  rubbing  his  hands  with  delight. 

*'  They  were  all  well." 

"  Was  Kate  really  willing  to  let  you  go  from  her 
side?" 

"  Not  very  willing  ;  but  I  consoled  her  with  the  assur- 


178  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

ance  that  you  would  soon  return,  and  she  would  be  happy 
again." 

"  'Pon  my  word  as  a  gentleman  and  a  sailor,  that  was 
very  kind  of  you  to  remember,  the  absent.  I  shall  recip- 
rocate that  favor ;  for  I  shall  probably  see  her  before 
you  do." 

"  Very  likely." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Somers,  this  is  a  very  unexpected  pleas- 
ure. I  hardly  anticipated  seeing  you  again  so  soon.  Do 
I  understand  that  you  are  tired  of  serving  in  the  old 
navy,  and  intend  to  try  your  luck  in  the  gallant  little 
marine  of  the  south  ?  " 

"  No,  sir  !  I  don't  intend  to  do  anything  of  the  sort, 
Mr.  Kennedy.  You  know  me  well  enough  to  be  satisfied 
that  I  would  never  desert  the  flag  of  my  country,"  said 
Somers,  with  proper  spirit. 

"  Bravo,  my  little  bantam  !  "  replied  Kennedy.  "  So 
much  the  worse  for  you.  If  you  wish  to  serve  the  Con- 
federate States  of  America  in  the  capacity  of  midship- 
man, I  think  I  have  influence  enough  to  procure  you  a 
warrant." 

"  You  kn(5w  me  better  than  that,  Mr.  Kennedy.  I 
would  cut  my  right  hand  off  before  I  would  do  anything 
of  the  kind." 

"  Then  your  right  hand  must  be  a  very  useless  mem- 
ber to  you,  my  dear  Somers,  or  you  would  not  be  willing 
to  get  rid  of  it  so  easily." 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         179 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Kennedy,  but  the  remembrance  of 
our  past  intercourse  brings  to  my  mind  a  very  pertinent 
question." 

"  Good  on  your  dictionary,  Somers  ;  I  wish  Kate  could 
have  heard  that  remark.  But  what's  the  pertinent  ques- 
tion?" 

"  Commodore  Portington  and  all  his  family,  as  you 
are  well  aware,  are  intensely  loyal.  The  question  which 
occurred  to  me  was,  how  you  intend  to  make  your  peace 
with  them  after  engaging  in  an  enterprise  of  this  descrip- 
tion." 

"  My  dear  and  astute  friend,  that  question  has  already 
been  up  for  consideration  in  my  mind ;  and  I  am  very 
happy  to  answer  you.  In  less  than  six  months  from  the 
present  time,  that  which  is  now  called  the  United  States 
of  America  will  have  ceased  to  exist ;  or  if  it  exists  at 
all,  it  will  only  be  as  a  rival,  but  not  an  equal,  of  the 
Confederate  States  of  America.  Doesn't  that  answer 
the  question  ?  " 

"  Hardly,  Mr.  Kennedy." 

"  We  who  have  fought  for  southern  independence  will 
not  then  be  regarded  as  rebels  and  traitors.  What  is 
now  called  treason  will  shine  out  as  the  glorious  deeds  of 
brave  and  self-sacrificing  men.  What  looks  black  now 
to  the  benighted  eyes  of  those  Avhom  you  call  loyal 
—  'pon  my  honor,  I  hate  the  sound  of  the  word  —  will 
glow  like  living  fire.     Those  who  are  now  fighting  the 


180  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

battles  of  the  North  will  sneak  off  like  whipped  puppies, 
and  return  to  the  mud  from  which  they  came,  there  to 
dig  till  your  huge  debt  is  paid.  Then,  ray  dear  Somers, 
the  officers  of  the  southern  army  and  navy  will  not  have 
to  apologize  for  what  they  have  done." 

"  They  will  not,  if  things  turn  out  as  you  predict," 
replied  Somers. 

"  They  will  turn  out  just  as  I  predict.  Long  before 
you  ever  see  your  native  town  again,  France  will  have 
recognized  the  Confederate  States ;  England  will  follow 
her  example,  and  the  great  work  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury will  be  accomplished.  But,  my  dear  Somers,  I  can- 
not stop  to  discuss  this  question  now,  and  we  shall  have 
plenty  of  time  for  it,  as  we  cruise  to  the  southward." 

"  Then  I  am  to  be  a  cabin  passenger-^ am  I?  "  asked 
Somers,  in  rather  doleful  tones. 

*'  Certainly,  for  the  friendship  I  bear  you,  I  must 
accord  you  that  privilege  ;  but  when  we  get  into  port,  of 
course  I  can  do  nothing  more  for  you." 

■ "  "What  is  to  happen  to  me  then  ?  " 

"  I  am  .very  sorry,  my  dear  fellow,  but  the  fortunes  of 
war  have  placed  you  in  my  power,  and  I  can  do  nothing 
less  than  hand  you  over  to  the  authorities  as  a  prisoner." 

"  Do  you  think  my  capture  w^as  entirely  fair  and  hon- 
orable ?  "  asked  Somers,  who  was  prolonging  the  inter- 
view to  enable  Mr.  Jackson  to  make  his  dispositions  of 
the  men  about  the  deck  and  below. 


THE   ADVEXTUEES    OF    A    XAVAL    OFFICER.        181 

"  Perhaps  not  exactly  in  accordance  witli  the  strict 
letter  of  the  rules  of  war  ;  but  you  see,  my  dear  Somers, 
I  had  a  particular  liking  for  you,  and  wanted  you  very 
badly.    I  hope  Kate  will  be  able  to  get  along  without  you." 

"Probably  she  will  not  miss  either  one  of  us  very 
much..  In  a  word,  I  suppose  I  happen  to  be  here  to 
gratify  your  malice  towards  me." 

"  Don't  use  hard  words,  my  dear  Somers.  You  were 
certainly  in  my  way,  and  it  was  necessary  to  remove  you. 
Here  you  are,  my  fine  fellow,  and  it  will  be  many  a  day 
before  you  see  NeM^ort  again." 

"  I  am  satisfied  if  you  are,  Mr.  Kennedy." 

"  Well,  I  ought  to  be.  I  have  won  the  game,"  added 
he,  rubbing  his  hands  again,  in  the  exuberance  of  his 
delight.  "  That's  a  very  fine  pistol  you  wear  in  your 
belt,  my  dear  Somers  ;  allow  me  to  look  at  it." 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Kennedy,  it  is  loaded,  and  you 
might  get  hurt  with  it,"  replied  Somers,  as  Mr.  Jackson 
approached  the  quarter-deck. 

"Pll  trouble  you  for  that  pistol,  Somers,"  repeated 
Kennedy,  rather  sharply. 

"  I  can't  spare  it." 

"  You  are  my  prisoner,  Somers." 

"  Not  yet,  Mr.  Kennedy." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  interrupt  you,  gentlemen,"  interposed 
the  second  lieutenant  of  the  Rosalie,  "  but  I  think  it  is 
about  time  to  proceed  to  business." 
16 


182  THE    YANKEE     MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  think  so,  too.  Have  you  brought  your  caps  on 
board  ?  "  demanded  Kennedy. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  all  on  board." 

*'  Very  well ;  but  the  first  business  is  to  disarm  this 
young  puppy." 

"  I  think  I  wouldn't  stop  to  do  that  just  now.  Captain 
Kennedy,"  replied  Jackson,  hardly  able  to  keep  from 
laughing.     "  He  will  do  no  harm." 

"  Where  are  your  caps,  Jackson?"  demanded  Kennedy, 
glancing  around  the  deck  for  the  valuable  stores. 

*'  They  are  on  the  heads  of  the  men." 

"  I  am  in  no  humor  for  jesting,"  growled  Mr. 
Kennedy. 

"  Neither  am  I ;  and  I  think  we  will  bring  this  farce 
to  an  end." 

"  Pray  what  do  you  mean  by  this  farce  ?  "  demanded 
the  commander  of  the  Snowden. 

"  Well,  sir,  you  have  had  all  the  fun  to  yourself  thus 
far,  and  I  think  it  is  time  for  us  to  have  our  turn,"  re- 
plied the  lieutenant. 

"  Confound  your  impudence,  sir ! "  exclaimed  Ken- 
nedy.    "  I  put  you  under  arrest  for  insolence  !  " 

"  Pardon  me.  Captain  Kennedy,  but  that  is  just  what 
I  was  about  to  do  with  you.  Without  further  jesting, 
which  I  find  is  offensive  to  you,  allow  me  to  add,  that 
you  are  my  prisoner." 

"  Your  prisoner  ?  " 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        183 

«  My  prisoner,  sir,  I  repeat ;  and  your  vessel  is  the 
prize  of  the  United  States  schooner  Rosalie,  Captain' 
Waldron.  I  think  I  have  been  sufficiently  explicit,  Mr. 
Kennedy,  to  leave  you  no  further  doubt  in  regard  to  our 
relative  positions.     Mr.  Somers,  the  prisoner  is  in  your 

charge." 

]Mi\  Phil  Kennedy  sank  down  on  a  seat  by  the  side  of 
the  skylight.  He  turned  deadly  pale,  and  the  terrible 
revulsion    of    circumstances    shook   every   fibre   in   his 

frame. 

"  That's  a  fine  pistol  you  have  in  your  belt,  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy ;  allow  me  to  look  at  it,"  said  Somers,  as  he  dis- 
covered the  weapon  beneath  the  frock-coat  of  his  prisoner. 

"  Don't  insult  me,  Somers,"  said  he,  savagely. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  insult  you  ;  but  I  will  trouble  you 
for  your  pistol." 

''  You  can't  have  it,"  growled  the  wretched  man. 

"  Take  it  from  him,"  said  Somers  to  the  ship's  cor- 
poral and  a  quarter-master,  who  had  been  detailed  to 
guard  the  prisoner. 

Kennedy  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  attempted  to  draw  the 
pistol,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  taking  a  sweet 
revenge  upon  the  man  whom  he  hated.  The  ship's  cor- 
poral was  too  quick  for  him,  and  before  he  could  disen- 
gage the  weapon  from  his  belt,  the  burly  chief  of  police 
of  the  Rosalie  was  hugging  him,  as  a  bear  hugs  his 
prey ;   while  the  quarter-master  wrested  from   him  the 


184  THE    YASKEE    MIDD  1\    OH 

weapon  which  would  have  been  dangerous  in  the  hands 
of  a  desperate  man.  Having  deprived  the  prisoner  of 
his  power  to  do  injury,  the  men  released  him  at  a  signal 
from  Somers.  In  the  mean  time,  Mr.  Jackson  had 
effectually  secured  possession  of  the  vessel,  and  the  trusty 
blue-jackets  stood  ready,  with  cutlass  and  pistol  in  hand, 
to  enforce  the  orders  of  their  officer.  But  no  resistance 
was  made. 

"  What  does  all  this  mean,  Somers?  "  asked  Kennedy, 
in  a  more  subdued  tone.     "  Where  is  Coles?" 

"  A  prisoner  in  Fort  Lafayette.  We  came  out  after 
this  vessel,  and  we  have  her." 

*'  You  expected  her,  then." 

"We  did." 

"  Some  one  has  betrayed  me,"  groaned  the  traitor. 

*'  No,  sir ;  you  betrayed  yourself.  When  those  liv- 
ing fires  of  which  you  spoke  begin  to  glow,  you  will  not 
be  ^/lere,"  replied  Somers. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        185 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

MR.    TUBES    COMES    TO    GRIEF. 

>^^^HE  Snowden  was  a  steamer  of  about  eight  hun- 
dred  tons.     Her  capture  was  complete,  and  it 


(1. 


only  remained  to  make  the  proper  dispositions 
for  sending  her  into  port,  which,  of  course,  could  only  be 
done  by  the  captain. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  you  will  proceed  to  the  Rosalie,  with 
your  prisoner,  and  report  to  the  captain  the  capture  of 
the  steamer,"  said  Mr.  Jackson,  when  he  had  placed  his 
little  force  in  positions  where  they  could  repel  any  at- 
tempt to  recapture  the  vessel. 

Somers  touched  his  cap,  and  requested  his  prisoner  to 
go  over  the  side  into  the  boat.  Kennedy  was  silent  and 
sullen.  He  had  been  robbed  of  his  last  hope,  and  the 
glowing  fabric  he  had  painted  of  the  great  Southern  Con- 
federacy suddenly  crumbled  into  ruins,  for  most  men 
identify  their  own  fate  with  that  of  their  nation.  He 
went  below  with  the  ship's  corporal,  and  pointed  out  his 
personal  effects,  which  were  put  into  the  boat.  Without 
a  remark,  he  went  down  the  accommodation  ladder,  and 
seated  himself  in  the  stem-sheets. 
16* 


186  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  have  to  report  the  capture  of  the  Snowden,  sir," 
said  Somers,  touching  his  cap,  as  he  reached  the  deck  of 
the  Rosalie,  and  met  the  captain,  who  was  eagerly  wait- 
ing for  intelligence  from  the  prize.  "  Her  commander 
accompanies  me,  sir,"  he  added,  when  Mr.  Phil  Ken- 
nedy appeared,  in  charge  of  the  acting  master-at- 
arms. 

"  I  am  happy  to  receive  your  report,  JMr.  Somers," 
said  the  captain,  glancing  at  the  disconsolate  prisoner. 

"  Mr.  Jackson  directed  me  to  say  that  he  was  waiting 
further  orders." 

"  They  shall  be  sent  to  him  presently." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  immediately  detailed  as  prize-master, 
with  Mr.  Somers  as  first  and  Mr.  Thompson  as  second 
oflicers. 

"  But  before  you  go,  Mr.  Somers,  there  is  a  matter  of 
some  importance  to  be  adjusted.  Pass  the  word  for  Mr. 
Tubbs,"  said  the  captain.  "Mr.  Kennedy,  may  I  trouble 
you  to  go  below  ?" 

"  I  am  your  prisoner,  and  you  can  do  with  me  as  you 
please,"  growled  Kennedy,  sulkily. 

The  captain  went  down  into  his  cabin,  followed  by  the 
prisoner,  and  by  Somers,  who  was  ordered  to  be  present 
at  the  interview. 

"  Captain  Waldron,  if  you  propose  to  question  me  in 
regard  to  the  steamer,  I  have  only  to  say,  that  this 
business  is  wholly  irregular,"  said  Kennedy,  as  he  threw 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF   A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        187 

himself  into  a  chair ;  "  and  I  intend  to  let  the  conse- 
quences rest  with  you." 

"  I  am  entirely  willing  to  bear  the  responsibility." 
*'  You  have  captured  my  vessel  without  even  exam- 
ining her  papers." 

"I  think   I  understand   perfectly  what  I  am   about, 

Captain  Kennedy." 

"  My  ship  is  a  British  steamer,  bound  from  one  British 

port  to  another." 

"  Are  you  a  British  subject?"  demanded  the  captain. 

Kennedy  wilted. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  answer  any  question  in  regard  to 
my  vessel,"  he  replied,  at  last,  in  surly  tones. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  ask  any  questions  on 

that  subject." 

At  this  moment,  Mr.  Tubbs  entered  the  cabin,  where 
he  had  been  ordered  to  appear.  He  looked  very  much 
astonished  at  the  invitation  he  had  received,  and  it  was 
clear  that  he  did  not  know  whether  to  expect  a  shock,  or 
an  appointment  on  board  of  the  prize.  Kennedy  took 
no  notice  of  him  as  he  entered,  and  perhaps  this  fact  had 
some  influence  in  shaping  the  young  gentleman's  future 

course. 

"  Mr.  Tubbs,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  queer  smile, 
which  the  senior  midshipman  of  the  Rosalie  could  not 
fathom,  "  we  have  a  friend  of  yours  here,  and  I  thought 
it  probable  you  might  wish  to  see  him." 


188  TEE    YANKEE   MIDj^W    UR    . 

"  A  friend  of  mine  !  "  exclaimed  Tubbs.  "  Ah,  Mr. 
Somers  ?  I  learn  that  he  is  about  to  leave  us  for  a  time. 
I  am  sorry  to  part  with  him." 

"  No  doubt  you  are  ;  but  I  did  not  allude  to  him,  but 
to  your  friend  Mr.  Kennedy,  commander  of  the  steamer 
just  captm-ed." 

*'  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  I  have  not  the  honor  of 
the  gentleman's  acquaintance,"  replied  Mr.  Tubbs,  with 
a  polite  bow  to  the  prisoner. 

"  Indeed?    I  thought  you  were  old  friends." 

"  No,  sir ;  it  is  quite  possible  that  I  have  seen  the 
gentleman  before." 

"  Your  memory  is  astonishingly  poor,  Mr.  Tubbs. 
Perhaps  Mr.  Kennedy's  is  better." 

"  The  gentleman  is  a  stranger  to  me,"  said  the  pris- 
oner, who  was  so  strongly  desirous  of  annoying  the 
captain,  that  he  immediately  fell  in  with  the  course  laid 
out  by  the  midshipman,  though  it  is  possible  he  had 
some  stronger  and  more  interested  motive  in  view. 

*'  This  is  very  singular,  Mr.  Tubbs,"  added  the  cap- 
tain, taking  from  his  pocket  a  paper,  which  proved  to  be 
the  challenge  sent  to  Somers.  "  Did  you  ever  see  this 
letter  before,  Mr.  Tubbs  ? "  continued  the  inquisitor, 
handing  him  the  treacherous  document,  opened  so  as  to 
exhibit  only  Kennedy's  letter  to  his  fellow-conspirator. 

"  Really,  I  do  not  just  now  remember  to  have  received 
any  such  letter,  though  it  is  certainly  addres&ed  to  me," 


THE   ADVEXTCRES    OF    A    XAVAL.     OfFlCEli.        189 

Stammered  the  senior  middy,  his  face  growing  crimson, 
as  he  turned  over  the  fatal  missive. 

'*  Did  you  ever  have  that  letter  in  your  possession,  Mr. 
Tubbs  ?  "  demanded  the  captain,  sternly,  for  he  was  dis- 
gusted with  the  duplicity  of  the  wretch. 

"  If  I  ever  did,  I  really  cannot  call  to  mind  the  fact. 
I  was  trying  to  think." 

"  Really,  sir,  your  memory  is  the  most  unserviceable 
one  a  young  man  ever  had.  You  are  offered  five  thou- 
sand dollars  for  performing  some  act  which  does  not 
appear  in  the  letter,  and  you  have  the  audacity  to  tell 
me  you  don't  remember  about  it." 

"  Excuse  me,  Captain  Waldron ;  but  I  was  trying  to 
think,"  stuttered  Tubbs. 

"  You  are  conjuring  up  a  new  lie,  sir.  The  letter  is 
signed  by  Mr.  Kennedy,  and  he  made  you  this  offer." 

*'  I  cannot  now  recall  the  circumstances  connected 
with  this  letter,  sir." 

"  It  would  be  very  inconvenient,  no  doubt,  to  do  so," 
added  the  captain,  severely.  "  May  I  ask  if  you  can 
recall  the  circumstances  connected  with  this  letter?" 
continued  the  commander  of  the  Rosalie,  as  he  took  the 
paper,  and,  turning  it  over,  exhibited  the  challenge. 

]Mr.  Tubbs  was  overcome  —  had  not  another  shot  in 
the  locker ;  -and  there  was  no  decent  course  left  to  him 
but  to  surrender  at  discretion.  Unfortunately  for  the 
young  gentleman  thus  convicted,  he  chose  still  to  shuffle 
and  deceive. 


190  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  took  Mr.  Somers  for  a  gentleman,"  said  he,  when 
he  had  slightly  recovered  from  the  shock.  "  He  insulted 
me,  and  I  demanded  satisfaction." 

"  Pshaw  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  ;  and  even  Mr.  Phil 
Kennedy,  laboring  under  the  heavy  burden  of  his  own 
griefs,  could  not  restrain  a  smile  as  he  glanced  at  Tubbs, 
and  fancied  him  engaged  in  a  duel. 

"  It  seems  he  has  betrayed  me  to  the  captain  —  a 
piece  of  treachery  to  which  no  gentleman  would  de- 
scend," added  Tubbs. 

"  The  challenge  is  too  ridiculous  for  a  moment's  con- 
sideration, though  it  is  sufficient  to  procure  your  dishon- 
orable discharge  from  the  navy.  It  would  never  have 
been  brought  to  me  but  for  the  more  important  matter 
on  another  part  of  the  sheet." 

"  I  deny  all  knowledge  of  that  matter,"  said  Tubbs, 
with  sudden  energy,  as  if  he  had  resolved  upon  a  plan  to 
fight  the  desperate  battle. 

"  The  original  letter  was  in  your  possession." 

"  And  it  was  stupid  of  you  to  write  a  challenge  on  an 
old  note,"  interrupted  Kennedy. 

"  I  didn't  see  it,"  answered  Tubbs,  rallpng  to  defend 
himself  from  this  new  charge. 

'the  captain  laughed  at  this  unguarded  admission,  and 
Tubbs  sank  back  into  a  corner,  utterly  overwhelmed  with 
confusion,  when  he  realized  what  a  blunder  he  had  made. 

"  Hold  your  tongue  now,  Tubbs,  and  face  the  music 


THE  ADVEXTVRES   OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER.       191 

like  a  man,"  added  Kennedy,  who  evidently  had  a  very 
mean  opinion  of  the  ability  of  his  companion  in  misery, 
u  Mr.  Tubbs,  it  appears  that  you  are  in  correspondence 
with  Mr.  Kennedy  ;  that  you  are  engaged  together  in  a 
conspiracy;  and  it  is  strongly  to  be  st.spected  that  you 
have  received,  and  perhaps  accepted,  an  offer  to  give  md 
and  comfort  to  the  enemy.     You  are,  therefore,  placed 

under  arrest." 

uO,  Captain  Waldron  !  "    exclaimed  Tubbs,  bursting 

into  tears,  "  do  not  ruin  me  !  " 
"  You  have  ruined  yourself." 

-  But  I  am  not  guilty  of  these  charges.  I  appeal  to 
Captain  Kennedy,"  pleaded  the  unfortunate  middy. 

u  Don't  appeal  to  me,  you  whining  puppy,"  said  the 
late  captain  of  the  Snowden,  incensed  at  his  want  of 
manhood. 

'^  My  poor  father  !  "  sobbed  Tubbs. 

u  You  should  have  thought  of  him  before,"  repUed  the 

captain. 

u  I  meant  no  harm.  Captain  Waldron." 

u  Haven't  you  plotted  with  this  man  to  fit  out  a  gun- 
boat to  prey  upon  the  commerce  of  your  country?" 

u  Indeed  I  have  not !  I  had  no  suspicion  of  the  mten- 
tions  of  Mr.  Kennedy  when  he  wote  me  that  note.  I 
can  prove  it,  sir." 

u  You  will  have  to  prove  it  in  some  other  place,  ISlr. 

Tubbs.'* 


192  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  If  I  had  had  any  intention,  as  you  say,  of  fitting 
out  a  gunboat,  do  you  suppose  I  would  have  confided  my 
plans  to  such  an  idiot  as  this  boy  ?  "  interposed  Kennedy. 

"  For  what  were  you  offered  five  thousand  dollars, 
Mr.  Tubbs  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  If  you  will  permit  me,  I  will  explain." 

"  Go  on  ;  but  be  brief." 

"  Mr.  Kennedy,  as  you  are  all  aware,  was  the  accepted 
suitor  of  Miss  Kate  Portington,"  Tubbs  began. 

No  one  present  was  aware  of  it ;  but  as  that  was  the 
speaker's  view  of  the  matter,  it  was  not  thought  neces- 
sary to  controvert  the  statement. 

"  An  accident  placed  Mr.  Somers  in  a  very  favorable 
situation  before  the  lady.  In  fact,  he  saved  her  life,  for 
which  she  was  very  grateful,  as  she  ought  to  have  been. 
Mr.  Somers  made  a  very  unfair  use  of  the  advantage 
thus  obtained.  There  was  an  entire  want  of  magnanim- 
ity on  his  part." 

"  Confine  yourself  to  a  statement  of  facts,  Mr.  Tubbs," 
said  the  captain,  indignantly. 

"  I  will,  sir.  Mr.  Somers  used  the  advantage  he  had 
thus  obtained  in  supplanting  Mr.  Kennedy.  In  other 
words,  he  attempted  '  to  cut  him  out.'  " 

"  That  is  all  an  idle  tale,"  sneered  Kennedy.  "  Do 
you  think  I  could  ask  any  favors  of  such  a  person  as 
Mr.  Somers?" 

"  I  only  state  what   Mr.  Kennedy  told  me,"  replied 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        1^3 

Tiibbs,  resolutely.  "  Captain  Waldron,  I  mean  to  tell 
nothing  but  the  truth  now." 

"  That's  the  greatest  lie  you  have  told  yet,"  snarled 
the  "  accepted  suitor." 

"  When  Mr.  Kennedy  told  me  this  tale  of  his  wrongs, 
I  very  naturally  felt  indignant,  as  any  high-minded  per- 
son would  have  felt." 

The  captain  opened  his  eyes  very  wide,  and  Kennedy 
uttered  a  brief  exclamation  indicative  of  his  contempt. 

"  I  thought  Mr.  Somers  had  played  a  very  mean  part 
in  a  delicate  matter,  and  I  did  not  hesitate  so  to  express 
myself.  My  father,  having  a  large  family  to  maintain, 
with  his  pay  greatly  reduced,  was  in  very  straitened 
circumstances  ;  and  Mr.  Kennedy  proposed  to  point  out 
a  way  by  which  I  could  make  five  thousand  dollars.  For 
my  father's  sake  I  listened  to  the  offer." 

''  AVell,  sir,  what  were  you  to  do  for  the  five  thousand 
dollars  ?  "  asked  the  captain,  as  the  speaker  paused  in  his 
narrative,  when  he  came  to  the  disgi'aceful  part  thereof. 

''  I  was  to  get  Mr.  Somers  into  difiiculty,  and  injure 
his  credit  with  the  officers." 

"  Was  that  aU?" 

"  I  was  to  dispose  of  him  as  I  could." 

"  Dispose  of  him  ?  Do  you  mean  that  you  were  to 
take  his  life?" 

"  Mr.  Kennedy  may  have  entertained  that  view,  but  I 
never  did." 

:7 


194  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Mr.  Kennedy  never  entertained  any  such  view,"  in- 
terposed that  gentleman ;  "  speak  for  yourself,  if  you 
must  speak  at  all." 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  never  accepted  the  offer,"  added  Mr. 
Tubbs,  brightening  up,  as  though  he  had  found  a  means 
of  clearing  himself  from  all  blame. 

"  But  you  commenced  operations  when  you  locked  Mr. 
Somers  up  in  the  store-room." 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  am  willing  to  acknowledge  that  I  despised 
him  for  his  meanness  in  the  matter  I  have  mentioned, 
and  was  willing  to  play  him  a  trick  when  I  got  a  chance. 
I  never  intended  to  injure  him  —  only  to  annoy  him." 

"  How  came  Mr.  Kennedy  to  make  you  this  offer?" 

"  I  heard  that  Somers  and  myself  were  to  be  appointed 
to  this  vessel  a  week  before  I  was  sent  on  board ;  and  I 
told  Mr.  Kennedy  so." 

"  Mr.  Kennedy  bargained  with  another  man  to  hand 
Mr.  Somers  over  as  a  prisoner  on  board  the  Snowden," 
added  the  captain. 

"  I  did  not  know  that,  sir,"  replied  Tubbs. 

"  As  nearly  as  I  can  judge,  you  were  to  do  the  dirty 
job  if  the  other  man  failed." 

"  I  was  not  to  do  that  —  at  least  I  never  intended  to 
injure  Mr.  Somers." 

"  You  have  done  enough  to  disgrace  any  officer.  You 
are  under  arrest." 

"  I  beg  you  —  " 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER.        195 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  say.  Report  to  the  master- 
at-arms,  under  arrest." 

"  I  wish  to  say,  sir,  so  far  as  Miss  Portington  is  con- 
cerned, I  never  had  the  remotest  idea  of  supplanting  Mr. 
Kennedy,"  interposed  Somers,  blushing  like  a  child.  "  I 
never  paid  her  any  attentions  such  as  Mr.  Tubbs  men- 
tions.    I  never  made  love  to  her,  in  a  word." 

Mr.  Somers  thought  he  had  not ;  he  had  no  "  serious 
intentions  "  —  indeed,  no  intentions  at  all ;  but  it  is  quite 
likely  he  did  not  untlerstand  the  matter. 

The  captain  went  on  deck,  followed  by  Somers,  while 
Kennedy  and  Tubbs  >veT<*  baidcd  over  to  the  master-at- 
arms. 


196  THE    YANKEE  MIDDT.    OR 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE   ROSALIE    IN    DOBOY   SOUND. 

HILE  Captain  Waldron  was  in  the  cabin, 
"working  up"  the  case  of  Mr.  Midship- 
man Tubbs,  the  first  lieutenant  was  mak- 
ing the  details  for  the  crew  of  the  Snowden.  Somers 
and  Thompson  brought  up  their  bags,  and  the  boat  put 
off.  The  engineers  and  fireman  of  the  steamer  were 
willing  to  retain  their  positions  on  certain  conditions  ;  but 
it  was  deemed  necessary  to  have  a  large  force  of  Yankee 
sailors  on  board,  in  case  of  any  attempt  to  recapture 
her.  •'The  Rosalie  was  to  keep  near  her,  and  to  be  towed 
by  her  in  light  or  head  winds. 

Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  was  now  first  ofificer  of  the 
steamer,  and  the  place  had  been  assigned  to  him  at  the 
special  request  of  Mr.  Jackson.  He  was  young,  but  he 
was  considered  fully  competent  to  perform  the  duties  of 
the  position.  The  boat  returned  to  the  Rosalie,  which 
immediately  filled  away  on  her  course. 

The  wheels  of  the  Snowden  were  started,  and  with  a 
quarter-master  to  con  the  wheels,  she  followed  in  the 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        197 

wake  of  lier  little  captor.  During  that  day  the  Rosa- 
lie was  able  to  hold  way  with  the  steamer  ;  but  at  sunset 
the  wind  subsided,  and  a  hawser  was  passed  from  her  to 
the  Snowden. 

The  purposes  of  our  story  do  not  require  us  to  follow 
the  return  voyage  in  detail,  and  we  pass  over  the  tame 
incidents  of  an  unbroken  passage,  till  the  Snowden  took 
on  board  a  pilot,  about  a  hundred  miles  east  of  Sandy 
Hook.  Though  our  voyagers  had  been  absent  from 
home  but  a  brief  period,  they  were  anxious  to  learn  the 
war  news,  and  the  bundle  of  papers  which  the  pilot 
brought  on  board  were  examined  with  great  eagerness. 
They  were  three  days  old,  but  they  were  nearly  a  week 
later  than  any  the  officers  had  seen. 

There  was  no  very  exciting  news  ;  but  Somers,  who  had 
a  very  decided  relish  for  newspapers,  devoted  himself  to 
a  careful  perusal  of  them,  as  soon  as  he  was  relieved 
from  duty  on  deck.  Of  course  he  read  the  wai^^news 
first ;  and  while  looking  over  the  paper  for  other  matters 
of  interest,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  familiar 
name  —  no  other  than  that  of  "  Portington."  His  gaze 
was  instantly  riveted  to  the  paragraph,  for  everything 
connected  with  that  name  had  a  kind  of  charm  about  it. 

The  paragraph  in  which  he  had  found  it,  announced 

the  dangerous  illness  of  General  Portington,  who  had 

been  attacked  by  paralysis.     The  papers  were  sent  on 

board  the  Rosalie,  with  this  sentence  marked,  that  it 

17* 


198  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

might  not  escape  the  attention  of  the  captain.  The  an- 
nouncement -would  give  !Mr.  Thil  Kennedy  a  thrill  of 
anxiety,  but  it  would  not  be  on  account  of  the  impend- 
ing death  of  one  who  had  been  his  guardian  and  pro- 
tector, but  for  the  final  disposition  of  his  large  property. 

Perhaps  the  general  was  already  dead ;  and  it  was  not 
impossible  that  the  prisoner  on  board  the  Rosalie  was 
the  heir  of  a  quarter  of  a  million.  Money  covers  a  mul- 
titude of  sins  ;  and  if  the  general  had  carried  out  what 
was  understood  to  be  his  intention,  and  made  Phil  joint 
heir  with  Kate  of  his  estates,  it  would  not  be  a  difficult 
matter  for  him  to  break  through  the  meshes  of  the  law. 
From  this  point  of  view  the  matter  was  one  of  no  incon- 
siderable interest  to  Somers. 

On  Tuesday  morning  the  Snowden  steamed  up  the 
harbor  of  New  York,  followed  by  the  Rosalie,  w^hich  had 
cast  off  the  hawser,  and  run  up,  in  gallant  style,  before  a 
fresh  breeze.  Both  vessels  came  to  anchor  off  the  navy 
yard,  and  the  first  edition  of  the  evening  papers  contained 
full  accounts  of  the  chase  and  the  capture.  Somers 
bought  two  of  the  papers,  and  mailed  one  to  Pinch- 
brook,  and  the  other  to  Newport. 

His  first  care,  after  he  had  discharged  the  duties  inci- 
dent to  the  arrival  of  the  vessel,  was  to  examine  the 
papers  of  each  day,  since  the  date  of  the  one  brought  off 
by  the  pilot,  to  ascertain  the  result  of  General  Porting- 
ton's  illness.     He  could  obtain  no  further  information 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         199 

from  the  papers,  nor  from  any  of  the  ofTicers  with  whom 
he  was  brought  into  official  connection. 

Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  was  sent  to  Fort  Lafayette  as  soon 
as  the  Rosalie's  anchor  struck  the  mud.  INIr.  Tubbs's 
case  Avas  reported  to  the  authorities,  and  he  remained 
under  arrest,  awaiting  orders.  On  the  following  day, 
orders  came  by  mail  from  Washington  for  the  Kosalie  to 
put  to  sea  again  as  soon  as  practicable.  AYhile  the  few 
stores  she  needed  were  coming  on  board,  the  depositions 
of  the  officers  were  taken,  to  be  used  in  the  prize  court 
in  the  case  of  the  Snowden. 

Our  younger  readers  may  not  understand  that,  when  a 
ship  is  taken  in  war,  the  captors  cannot  sell  nor  use  her  at 
their  own  pleasure.  The  customs  or  practices  of  mari- 
time nations,  embodied  in  what  is  called  "  international 
law,"  regulate  all  these  affiiirs.  A  vessel  may  be  cap- 
tured as  the  property  of  an  enemy  in  war,  or  of  a  neutral 
while  engaged  in  entering  a  port  legally  blockaded,  or 
when  it  appears  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  officer  making 
the  capture,  that  she  is  conveying  goods  contraband  of 
war  to  the  enemy ;  but  she  is,  not  yet  the  property  of  the 
nation  under  whose  authority  the  capture  was  made. 

If  this  were  the  law,  or  the  fact,  vessels  might  be  un- 
justly taken  from  their  owners.  After  the  vessel  or  the 
goods  are  captured,  they  still  belong,  in  theory,  to  the 
original  owner,  and  the  officer  Avho  captures  them  is 
responsible  for  his  act.     The  captured  ship  is  sent  into 


200  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

a  port  of  the  captor,  or  of  a  neutral,  and  the  case 
brought  before  a  court  created  for  the  purpose,  which 
must  sit  in  the  country  of  the  captor  or  his  ally.  The 
evidence  on  both  sides  is  then  heard,  and  the  court  de- 
cides whether  or  not  the  vessel  was  legally  taken.  All 
the  testimony  respecting  the  vessel's  nationality,  the  ob- 
ject of  her  voyage,  indeed  all  the  information  that  can 
be  obtained,  is  presented  to  the  court. 

On  this  evidence  the  decision  of  the  court  is  made. 
If  the  testimony  is  not  sufficient  to  prove  that  she  is  a 
lawful  prize,  she  is  acquitted,  and  the  government  must 
pay  any  damage  which  may  be  caused  by  her  capture. 
If  the  evidence  is  sufficient,  the  vessel  is  condemned,  and 
handed  over  to  the  marshal  of  the  district  to  be  sold.  If 
the  government  wants  the  vessel,  it  must  buy  her  at  auc- 
tion, the  same  as  a  private  individual,  for  the  sale  is 
necessary  in  order  to  establish  the  value. 

The  distribution  of  the  proceeds  of  this  sale  is  also 
regulated  by  law.  'W'hen  the  vessel  is  taken  by  a  man- 
of-war,  if  the  captured  ship  be  armed  and  of  greater  force, 
all  the  money  she  brings  go'es  to  the  captors  ;  if  she  is  of 
equal  or  of  less  force,  one  half  goes  to  the  government, 
and  the  other  half  to  the  officers  and  crew  making  the 
capture.  If  we  divide  the  whole  sum  into  twentieths, 
the  captain  has  three  parts,  or,  if  his  vessel  belongs  to  a 
squadron,  he  has  only  two,  the  admiral  taking  the  other 
part.     Two  parts  are  divided  among  all  the  lieutenants, 


THE   ADVEXTUIiES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        201 

the  captain  of  marines,  and  the  sailing-master ;  two 
parts  among  the  chaplain,  surgeon,  paymaster,  master's 
mates,  and  similar  officers ;  three  parts  and  a  half 
among  the  midshipmen,  armorer,  boatswain's  mates, 
cockswain,  and  other  officers  of  approximate  rank  ;  two 
and  a  half  parts  among  certain  petty  officers  ;  and  seven 
parts  to  all  the  seamen,  marines,  and  all  other  persons 
not  included  in  other  grades.  If  there  are,  for  example, 
three  lieutenants  and  a  sailing-master,  each  of  them  re- 
ceives one  fourth  of  two  twentieths  of  all  the  money  — 
that  is,  one  fortieth.  If  there  are  fifty  sailors  of  all 
degrees,  each  one  receives  one  fiftieth  of  seven  twentieths, 
or  seven  dollars  of  every  thousand  divided. 

The  Snowden  and  her  cargo  brought  sixty  thousand 
dollars  above  the  expenses,  one  half  of  which  was  divided 
among  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Rosalie.  There  were 
twelve  persons  of  the  class  to  which  Somers  belonged ; 
therefore  he  received  one  twelfth  of  three  and  a  half 
twentieths  of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  which  is  four  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  dollars  and  a  half — no  small  sum  for 
a  young  man  of  eighteen  to  make  in  less  than  a  fortnight. 

Somers  and  his  fellow-officers  of  the  Rosalie  made 
depositions  before  a  magistrate  in  regard  to  their  knowl- 
edge of  the  Snowden,  to  be  used  in  the  prize  court 
if  they  should  be  absent  on  duty  Avhen  the  case  was 
adjusted.  The  officers  and  sailors  of  the  captured  steam- 
er would  also  be  required  to  give  their  evidence. 


202  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

All  these  matters  were  disposed  of,  and  Somers  thought 
the  importance  of  the  events  iu  which  he  had  been  an 
actor  was  sufficient  to  warrant  him  in  writing  a  letter  to 
Kate,  as  he  had  promised.  He  did  not  write  the  playful 
letter  he  intended,  fearing  that  such  an  epistle  might  be 
distasteful  to  her  while  the  family  were  waiting  to  hear 
of  the  death  of  her  grandfather,  if  the  news  had  not 
already  reached  them.  He  scarcely  alluded  to  Phil 
Kennedy,  for  her  relations  with  him  were  too  intimate  to 
permit  a  full  statement  of  his  infamy. 

At  meridian,  on  the  following  day,  the  Rosalie  went 
to  sea  again,  and,  as  usual,  not  a  soul  on  board  knew 
where  she  was  bound.  But  everybody  was  contented 
and  happy,  for  the  success  already  obtained  was  an 
earnest  of  the  future.  The  vessel  and  her  commander 
had  received  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  the  capture  of  the 
Snowden,  and  the  prospect  of  a  handsome  sum  of  prize 
money  was  calculated  to  make  all  hiands  good-natured. 

The  officers  and  crew  were  the  same  as  before,  with 
the  exception  of  Mr.  Tubbs,  who  had  been  relieved  from 
duty,  and  ordered  to  hold  himself  in  readiness  for  trial 
by  court-martial ;  and  we  may  as  well  anticipate  the 
event,  and  say  that  he  was  dishonorably  dismissed  from 
the  navy,  the  charge  of  aiding  and  comforting  the  enemy 
not  being  fully  established. 

Everything  proceeded  with  the  utmost  regularity  on 
board,  after  the  Rosalie  passed  Sandy  Hook,  where  the 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        203 

sealed  orders  were  opened  and  read.  The  schooner  was 
to  go  upon  the  blockade  on  the  coast  of  Georgia,  where 
sundry  schooners  laden  with  cotton  had  eluded  the  vigi- 
lance of  the  steamers,  so  few  in  number  that  it  was 
impossible  to  cover  the  numerous  watercourses  which 
ran  inland  from  the  ocean.  The  particular  point  to 
which  the  Rosalie  was  ordered  was  the  mouth  of  Doboy 
Sound ;  and  she  reached  her  station  after  a  rather  rough 
passage  of  twelve  days. 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  Captain  Waldron,  when  the  ves- 
sel came  to  anchor  to  the  southward  of  Chimney  Spit. 

This  remark  was  addressed  to  Somers,  who  was  on 
duty  near  the  speaker. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  but  I  hope  we  shall  have  something  better 
to  do  than  lie  at  anchor." 

*'  Patience,  Mr.  Somers.  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall 
find  occupation  before  many  days  have  passed  away.  This 
Doboy  Sound  is  one  of  the  back  doors  of  the  Altamaha 
River.  So  many  of  the  vessels  of  the  navy  have  been 
engaged  in  the  attack  upon  Sumter,  that  the  rebels  have 
been  encouraged  to  send  out  vessels,  and  they  have  done 
so  with  some  success.  This  region  has  been  pretty 
thoroughly  explored  and  burned  over  by  the  negro  troops. 
Darien  was  destroyed  not  long  since,  and  vast  quantities 
of  property  captured  and  burned.  The  place  had  a  large 
trade  in  lumber." 

"  I  suppose  they  don't  run  the  blockade  with  lumber, 


204  THE    YANKEE   3nDDY,    OR 

sir,"  added  Somcrs,  who  did  not  think  such  a  cargo 
would  pay  for  the  risk. 

"  No  ;  but  a  gi-eat  deal  of  cotton  comes  down  the  Aha- 
maha  River,  which  the  rebels  are  anxious  to  get  out,  in 
order  to  pay  the  cotton  loan." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  have  a  chance  to  do  our  share  in 
putting  down  the  value  of  the  cotton  loan." 

"  Probably  we  shall ;  for  it  is  reported  that  blockade- 
running  is  quite  brisk  in  this  vicinity  at  the  present  time. 
Though  it  is  rather  a  narrow  field,  we  have  this  sound 
entirely  to  ourselves." 

But  the  Rosalie  mocked  the  expectations  of  the  com- 
mander and  his  officers  for  a  fortnight ;  for  there  was  no 
appearance  of  a  vessel  going  in  or  out  of  the  inlet  during 
that  time.  The  weather  had  been  remarkably  fine,  with 
bright  moonlight  evenings,  which  was  not  favorable  for 
blockade-running,  and  all  hands  whistled  for  a  change  of 
weather.  A  rainy,  misty,  foggy  day  soon  rewarded  the 
seamen's  prayer,  and  extra  precautions  were  taken  to 
entrap  any  vessel  which  might  attempt  to  run  out.  The 
darlaiess  set  in  with  a  fog  so  dense  that  the  lookouts 
could  not  see  a  ship's  length  in  any  direction.  Mr. 
Greene,  the  third  lieutenant,  was  sent  ofi"  in  the  second 
cutter  to  do  picket  duty  inside  of  the  sound. 

At  eight  bells  in  the  first  watch,  when  it  was  dead  low 
tide,  and  the  wind  was  blowing  in  fresh  from  the  east- 
ward, this  boat  was  recalled ;  for  it  was  not  considered 


THE  AD  VENTURES    OF  A   NA  VAL    OFFICER.        205 

possible  that  any  vessel  would  attempt  to  run  out  at  that 
stage  of  the  tide,  and  with  a  head  wind.  At  two  bells 
in  the  mid  watch,  the  lookout  on  the  forecastle  reported 
a  noise  like  the  puffing  of  a  steamer  up  the  sound.  In 
an  instant  everything  w^as  alive  on  board  the  Rosalie. 
The  order  to  call  the  men  to  quarters  was  given  ;  but 
everything  was  conducted  in  silence,  that  the  position  of 
the  schooner  might  not  be  revealed  to  the  approaching 
vessel. 

18 


206  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


IN   THE    FOG    AND    DARKNESS. 


y-M^'LEXR  away  the  first  cutter,  Mr.  Jackson,"  said 
/  I  the  captain,  who,  when  the  order  had  been  re- 
\^J^  peated,  gave  the  second  lieutenant  his  directions, 
which  were  to  proceed  towards  the  approacliing  steamer, 
and  carry  her  by  boarding,  if  practicable  ;  if  not,  to 
throw  up  rockets,  slanted  towards  the  position  of  the 
blockade-runner. 

At  this  moment  Somers  contrived  to  place  himself  in 
such  a  situation  that  the  captain  might  see  him.  He  had 
heard  the  order  given  to  carry  the  steamer  by  boarding, 
and  he  had  a  Yankee  sailor's  taste  for  this  exciting 
employment.  Captain  Waldron,  however,  did  not  see 
him,  for  the  fog  and  the  darkness  were  very  dense ; 
but,  as  our  middy  almost  invariably  formed  one  of 
Mr.  Jackson's  crew,  when  he  w^as  sent  away  in  the 
boat,  he  ventured  to  go  a  step  farther  than  "  hanging 
around." 

"  Shall  I  go  in  the  first  cutter,  as  usual,  sir?  "  asked 
he,  stepping  forward  and  touching  his  cap. 


THE   ADVENTURES   OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        207 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Somers,  certainly,"  replied  Captain 
"Waldron,  smiling  at  the  eagerness  of  the  young  officer. 

The  Yankee  middy  rushed  to  the  deck,  and  obtained  a 
cutlass,  which,  in  addition  to  his  usual  arms,  rendered 
him  quite  a  formidable  person. 

"  You  will  hardly  need  that,  Mr.  Somers,"  said  the 
captain,  as  the  young  gentleman  sprang  to  the  accommo- 
dation ladder.  "  Boarding  a  blockade-runner  is  quite  a 
peaceful  occupation." 

"  It  is  best  to  be  ready  for  anything  that  may  turn  up, 
and  I  should  feel  bad  if  there  were  to  be  a  fight,  while  I 
was  not  in  condition  to  have  a  hand  in  it." 

"  Up  oars  !  "  shouted  the  cockswain  of  the  cutter. 

"  Silence  there  !  "  said  the  captain.  "  You  will  wake 
up  every  man  within  ten  miles  of  us." 

*'  Shove  off! "  added  the  cockswain,  in  more  cautious 
tones. 

"  Hold  on  a  moment,  if  you  please,"  called  Somers, 
finding  the  boat  was  going  away  without  him. 

"  Haul  in  again,  bowman,"  said  Mr.  Jackson,  who 
was  always  glad  enough  to  have  Somers  in  the  boat 
with  him ;  not  only  because  he  was  a  faithful  and 
reliable  officer,  but  because  he  w^as  a  pleasant  com- 
panion. 

Somers  leaped  into  the  fore-sheets  of  the  cutter,  and 
made  his  way  aft,  where  he  reported  himself  in  due  form 
to  his  superior. 


208  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Glad  to  have  you  M'itli  me,  Mr.  Somers,"  said  Mr. 
Jackson.     ''  We  may  have  a  little  fun  to-night." 

"Shove  off!"  repeated  the  cockswain;  and  the  boat 
left  the  schooner's  side,  and  plunged  into  the  fog  and 
darkness.  "Let  fall!  "  he  added;  and  the  oars,  poised 
in  a  perpendicular  position,  all  dropped  into  the  water. 

"  Less  noise,  men  !  "  interposed  Mr.  Jackson,  sharply, 
for  the  men,  excited  by  the  prospect  of  a  stirring  event, 
and  perhaps  by  the  hope  of  a  handsome  sum  of  prize- 
money,  were  in  a  fair  way  to  defeat  the  object  of  the 
expedition  by  their  own  enthusiasm. 

"  Give  way  together,"  continued  the  cockswain,  giving 
the  last  order. 

A  boat  compass,  enclosed  in  a  brass  case,  with  lamps 
inside,  so  that  the  points  could  be  seen  without  shedding 
any  light  outside,  had  been  placed  where  the  cockswain 
could  see  it,  and  he  was  ordered  to  keep  her  head  to  the 
north-west,  which  would  carry  the  boat  directly  up  the 
sound.  The  men  had  been  directed  to  pull  in  silence, 
and  the  oars  had  been  carefully  muffled ;  that  is,  a 
piece  of  sail-cloth  had  been  wound  around  the  loom 
where  it  played  in  the  rowlock,  thus  preventing  its 
motion  from  making  a  noise. 

"  One  thing  is  plain,  Mr.  Somers,"  said  the  second 
lieutenant,  in  a  low  tone  —  "the  steamer  we  have  heard 
is  not  a  blockade-runner." 

"  She  is  a  high-pressure  boat,  sir,  or  she  wouldn't 
make  that  noise." 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A   NAVAL    OFFICER.        209 

"  She  is  evidently  a  river  steamer,  and  I  suppose  she 
is  towing  something  out." 

"I  thought  of  that  before  I  came  into  the  boat,"  re- 
plied Somers. 

''  You  have  seen  some  service  on  the  southern  rivers." 

*'  A  little,  sir,  on  the  Gulf." 

"  Perhaps  the  steamer  is  armed." 

"  It  may  be  that  she  is.  If  so,  we  may  have  a  brush 
before  we  return." 

"  We  are  all  ready  for  it,"  replied  Somers,  picking  up 
his  cutlass  from  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  placing  it  by 
his  side. 

"  We  always  are,"  added  Mr.  Jackson.  "  It  is  low  tide, 
and  the  wind  is  fresh  from  the  sea.  We  must  stop  this  craft 
before  she  passes  the  Rosalie,  for  she  cannot  follow  her." 

*'  That  is  the  disadvantage  of  a  sailing  vessel." 

"  Yes ;  and  I  suppose  the  rebels  who  planned  this 
movement  intend  to  profit  by  our  weakness.  Where  is 
the  steamer  now?  Dixon,  lay  on  your  oars,"  added  Mr. 
Jackson  to  the  cockswain. 

\^  Stand  by  to  lay  on  your  oars  !  "  said  Dixon.  "  Oars  ! " 

At  this  order,  the  oarsmen  levelled  their  oars,  with  the 
blades  feathered,  and  in  a  perfect  line,  though  it  was  too 
dark  for  any  one  to  see  and  admire  the  precision  with 
which  the  commands  were  executed. 

"Can  you  hear  the  steamer,  Somers?"  asked  Mr. 
Jackson. 

18* 


210  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  No,  sir  ;  they  must  have  stopped  her." 

*'  Steerage-way  gone,  sir,"  said  Dixon,  after  they  had 
waited  a  moment  for  any  sounds  from  the  approaching 
vessel. 

*'  Give  way,  then  ! " 

"  Give  way  !  "  repeated  the  cockswain  ;  and  again  the 
men  pulled  their  steady,  silent  stroke. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  perplexed  at  the  discontinuance  of 
the  rounds  on  which  he  had  relied  to  guide  him  to  the 
expected  prize.  After  the  boat  had  proceeded  a  short 
distance  farther,  he  again  ordered  the  men  to  lay  on  their 
oars ;  and  the  officers  listened  for  any  indications  of  the 
steamer,  but  there  was  nothing  to  be  heard  but  the 
dashing  of  the  waves.  The  men  pulled  again  ;  and  this 
time  they  went  about  a  mile  up  the  sound  before  another ' 
stop  was  made.  It  was  certain  that  the  steamer  was  not 
near  the  boat ;  for  even  if  she  was  not  in  motion,  the 
noise  of  the  escaping  steam  must  have  betrayed  her 
presence. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  we  have  passed  her  ?  "  asked  JSIr. 
Jackson,  appalled  at  the  very  thought  of  such  an  event. 

"  Hardly  possible,  sir,"  replied  Somers. 

"  I  don't  understand  it.  We  are  at  least  two  miles 
from  the  ship,  and  the  steamer  could  not  have  been  that 
distance  from  us  when  we  heard  her." 

"  She  may  have  come  out  of  one  of  these  creeks,  and 
gone  up  the  sound,"   suggested  Somers.     "  It  looks  as 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         211 

though  there  was  no  blockade-runner  in  the  scrape, 
after  all." 

''  I  am  very  confident  she  could  not  have  passed  us. 
I  know  we  should  have  heard  her,  for  this  sound  is  not 
much  over  a  mile  in  width.  I  doubt  whether  anything 
will  happen  to-night  to  reward  our  patience.  However, 
we  will  go  up  a  little  farther,  and  see  if  we  can  get  any 
information,  if  we  don't  obtain  anything  else." 

The  men  bent  to  their  oars  once  more ;  and,  after 
going  another  mile,  the  boat  was  again  stopped:  still 
there  were  no  sounds  to  disclose  the  present  position  of 
the  steamer.  Mr.  Jackson's  hopes  had  been  abating, 
until  he  gave  up  the  chase  in  despair.  He  had  given  the 
order  to  return  to  the  Rosalie,  when  a  voice  was  heard 
from  the  depths  of  the  fog  and  gloom.  It  came  from 
over  the  starboard  bow,  and  immediately  excited  a  pro- 
found sensation  on  board  of  the  first  cutter. 

"Who  dar?  Who  dar?"  demanded  some  invisible 
person  from  the  mass  of  fog ;  but  his  quality  and  social 
station  were  sufficiently  indicated  by  his  dialect. 

"  It's  a  darky,"  said  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  And  for  that  reason,  sir,  the  most  valuable  person 
we  could  meet  at  the  present  time,"  replied  Somer^ 
«  The  negroes  are  all  loyal ;  and  if  this  man  has  any 
information  of  the  steamer,  he  will  give  it  to  us. 

"  Wlio  dar?"  shouted  the  negro  again. 

"  Boat  ahoy  !  "  replied  the  second  lieutenant. 


212  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OB 

"Is  you  de  Yankees,  massa?"  asked  the  cautious 
darky,  ^vho  was  still  uuseeu  by  the  cutter's  crew. 

"  Yes  ;  where  are  you  ?  —  on  shore  ?  " 

"  No,  massa  ;  dis  nigger's  in  de  dug-out.'* 

"  What  are  you  doing  at  this  time  of  night?'* 

"  Trying  to  find  de  Yankees,  massa,"  replied  the  occu- 
pant of  the  dag-out,  as  the  craft  emerged  from  the  mass 
of  fog,  and  ranged  up  astern  of  the  cutter.  "  Dis  nigger 
been  tryin  to  get  off  dis  tree  weeks  :  now,  here  he  is, 
glory  be  to  Massa  Ole  Abe  !  " 

"  "Where  have  you  been  these  three  weeks  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Jackson. 

"  Been  loadin  de  schooners  wid  de  cotton." 

"  O,  indeed  !    Have  you?  " 

"  Yes,  massa." 

'-'•  There  is  one  up  here  now  —  is  there?" 

"  Yes,  massa  —  fourteen  ob  'em." 

"  Fourteen  !  "  exclaimed  the  lieutenant,  incredulously. 

"  Well,  sar,  dis  chile  can't  edzactly  say  dare's  jes 
fourteen  ob  'em ;  but  dar's  a  big  pile  ob  'em,  as  sure  as 
you  lib,  massa." 

"  Where's  the  steamer?  '* 
^    "  I  kin  told  you  all  about  de  steamer,  massa.'* 

"  Can  you?    Then  you  are  just  the  man  we  want.'* 

"  Dis  chile  kin  tell  you  all  about  her,  sar ;  but  dis 
chile  want  to  go  to  de  Norf." 

"  Very  well ;  you  shall  go  to  the  North,  if  you  know 
how  to  tell  the  truth.'* 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.       213 

''  De  truf !  Golly  !  Dis  chile  ncber  tells  nossin  but  de 
truf,  as  shore  as  you  was  born  !  " 

"Where  is  the  steamer?"  asked  Mr.  Jackson,  now 
fully  satisfied  that  he  had  captured  a  prize  who  would 
add  a  large  sum  to  the  credit  of  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  Rosalie. 

"  She  done  gone  ober  dar,  massa,"  replied  the  contra- 
band, pointing  out  into  the  gloom. 

"  What's  she  doing  here?" 

"  She  was  gwine  to  take  one  ob  de  schooners  down 
ober  de  bar." 

''Where  is  the  schooner?"  demanded  the  lieutenant, 

impatiently. 

"Dey  bof  gone  ober  dar!"  replied  the  negro,  again 
pointing  into  the  banks  of  fog. 

"  Why  don't  she  go  down  the  sound,  if  she  is  going?" 

"  Dar's  de  trouble,  massa,"  said  the  black  man,  signifi- 
cantly. 

"  What  is  the  trouble  ?  " 

The  intelligent  contraband  then  proceeded  to  explain 
the  whole  matter.  He  informed  the  lieutenant  that  the 
steamer,  with  a  schooner  in  tow,  got  whhiu  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  Chimney  Spit,  off  which  the  Rosalie  lay, 
when  a  boat,  which  had  been  sent  ahead  to  feel  the  way, 
had  returned  with  the  intelligence  that  the  man-of-war 
was  getting  out  her  boat  to  capture  them.  The  negro 
further  informed  Mr.  Jackson,  that  the  very  dug-out  in 


214  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

which  he  sat  had  been  used  as  the  pioneer  of  the  blockade- 
runner,  and  that  he  himself  had  held  the  paddle.  The 
mate  of  the  steamer  was  with  him  ;  and,  after  he  had  put 
him  on  board,  he  had  cast  off  again,  and  had  been  pad- 
dling about  for  an  hour  in  search  of  the  man-of-war,  or 
one  of  her  boats. 

His  statement  seemed  to  be  very  consistent,  and  as  his 
case  was  that  of  thousands  of  his  kind  in  bondage,  he 
was  readily  accepted  as  a  truthful  witness. 

"  What  did  the  steamer  do  when  the  mate  returned  on 
bbard?"  asked  Mr.  Jackson,  after  he  had  fully  satisfied 
himself  in  regard  to  the  character  of  his  informant. 

^'  She  put  back,  massa.  Dat  schooner  down  dar  got  a 
big  gun ;  blow  de  steamer  aU  to  squash,  if  she  git  a  rap 
at  her." 

"  That's  so,"  answered  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  Yes,  sar." 

"  Then  she  has  given  up  the  attempt  to  run  the 
schooner  out  to-night." 

"  No,  sar ;  she's  gwine  to  wait  till  all  tings  is  still 
again ;  den  she's  gwine  down.  Dat's  what  I  hear  the 
nable  ossifer  say." 

"The  what?" 

"  De  nable  ossifer — de  man  like  you  is,  dat  come  from 
Sabannah  to  git  de  schooners  out." 

"  Who  is  the  naval  officer?  " 

"  Dunno,  massa." 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF   A    NAVAd.    OFFICER.        215 

"  Do  you  know  where  the  steamer  is  uow  ?  " 

*'  Well,  sar,  dis  nigger  dunno  edzactly  whar  she  is, 
but  I  reckon  she  done  runned  inter  de  creek,"  replied  the 
contraband. 

"What  creek?" 

"  Tea-kettle  Creek,  massa.^ 

"  Give  way,  Dixon  !  "  said  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  Golly,  massa  !  Dis  child  ain*t  goin  up  dar,  no  how," 
said  the  negro,  with  something  like  a  shudder. 

"  We  will  take  care  of  you.     Come  into  the  boat." 

"  Dis  nigger's  afeerd  ob  his  life  to  go  up  dar,  sar. 
Spose  dey  done  cotch  dis  chile  !  Golly,  dey  put  him  in 
de  furnaces  for  bringin  de  Yankees  up  dar." 

The  contraband's  fears  were  proof  against  the  elo- 
quence of  the  second  lieutenant  for  a  time  ;  but  at  last  he 
compromised,  by  agreeing  to  follow  in  the  dug-out. 

"  Give  way ! "  said  Dixon ;  and  the  boat  darted 
through  the  fog,  in  the  direction  of  the  creek  where 
the  steamer  and  her   companion  were  reported   to  be. 

"  We  shall  not  go  back  empty-handed,  after  all,"  said 
Mr.  Jackson,  whose  hopes  had  again  risen  to  the  highest 
pitch. 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  hope  not,"  answered  Somers. 

"  The  chances  are  all  in  our  favor,  at  any  rate,"  added 
the  lieutenant ;  "  that  is,  if  the  darky's  statement  is 
correct." 

"  I  believe  a  darky  was  never  yet  known  wilfully  to 
give  false  information." 


216  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  No,  I  think  not." 

The  boat  continued  on  her  course  till,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  officers,  she  had  made  four  miles  from  the 
schooner's  anchorage,  which  was  the  distance  to  the 
creek.  All  the  officers  of  the  Rosalie  had  diligently 
studied  the  chart,  and  calculated  the  distances  between 
various  points  in  the  sound,  in  anticipation  of  occasions 
like  the  present.  At  this  point  she  ran  in  towards  the 
northerly  shore  of  the  sound.  They  did  not  strike  the 
creek,  for  the  calculations  of  distances  were  necessarily 
very  imperfect ;  but  they  persevered  until  they  accom- 
plished the  object,  and  the  noise  of  escaping  steam,  half 
a  mile  distant,  guided  them  to  their  prey. 

"  Stand  by  your  cutlasses,  my  men,"  said  Mr.  Jack- 
son, in  a  low  tone,  when  the  boat  had  approached  near 
enough  to  the  steamer  to  enable  them  to  hear  the  voices 
of  the  men  on  her  deck. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  ready  blue-jackets. 

At  that  instant  the  roar  of  a  gun  saluted  them,  and  a 
twelve-pound  shot  struck  the  cutter  amidships,  tearing 
open  her  side,  while  the  water  poured  into  her  with  the 
velocity  of  a  mill-stream.  From  that  moment  of  ex- 
citement and  eager  expectation,  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  cutter  passed  to  one  of  anxiety  for  their  o\vn  safety. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         217 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE    FIRST    CUTTER    IN   TROUBLE. 

/^^^IIE  shot  had  struck  the  cutter  near-  her  watbr- 
#  H  line,  and  she  was  no  longer  capable  of  bearing 
\J__ly  up  her  gallant  crew.  The  groans  of  some  of 
the  men  assured  the  officers  that  the  effects  of  the  shot 
were  not  confined  to  the  boat.  It  was  evident  that  the 
expedition  had  fallen  into  a  snare  of  some  kind  ;  but  it 
was  impossible  to  ascertain  the  further  purposes  of  the 
rebels. 

"  Jump  overboard  and  hang  on  at  the  rail  of  the 
boat,"  said  Mr.  Jackson,  who  fortunately  had  the  pres- 
ence of  mind  to  do  what  the  desperate  condition  of  the 
boat  would  permit. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  men,  cheerfully ;  for 
our  sailors  never  give  way  to  despair  as  long  as  there  is 
a  voice  to  direct  them. 

The  order  was  promptly  obeyed  ;  and  in  a  moment  the 
crew  were  in  the  water,  supporting  themselves  by  hold- 
ing on  at  the  rail  of  the  cutter.  She  had  no  ballast  or 
other  heavy  matter  on  board  which  would  cause  her  to 
19 


218  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

siuk  ;  on  the  contrary,  when  the  weight  of  the  men  was 
removed,  she  rose  so  that  the  hole  in  her  side  was  above 
the  water.  There  were  two  men  of  the  party  who  were 
unable  to  obey  the  order,  and  still  remained  in  the  boat. 
One  of  them  was  quite  dead ;  the  other  was  severely 
wounded. 

Mr.  Jackson  directed  the  cockswain  to  examine  into 
the  nature  and  extent  of  the  damage  done  to  the  boat ; 
and  he  soon  reported  a  ragged  hole  in  her  side  about  a 
foot  in  diameter.  It  was  also  found  that  she  would  sup- 
port two  or  three  men,  without  sinking  so  deep  as  to 
cause  the  water  to  flow  in.  Two  of  the  lightest  of  the 
men  were  directed  to  get  in  on  the  opposite  side  and  bale 
her  out. 

The  sound  was  quite  smooth  at  this  distance  from  the 
sea,  and  there  was  no  difficulty  in  carrying  out  the  vari- 
ous orders  which  had  been  given.  When  the  boat  had 
been  baled  out,  five  more  men  got  in,  including  Mr. 
Jackson,  who  had  already  devised  a  plan  for  stopping 
the  leak. 

"Where  is  Mr.  Somers?"  demanded  the  lieutenant, 
now  for  the  first  time  noticing  the  absence  of  our  middy. 

"  Mr.  Somers,"  repeated  the  cockswain  and  several  of 
the  men. 

The  word  passed  around  the  circle  of  men  clinging  to 
the  boat ;  but  Somers  was  not  there  to  answer  to  his 
name. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        219 

'' AVhcre  is  he?"  demanded  the  lieutenant,  almost 
paralyzed  in  his  efforts  to  save  the  boat,  by  this  sad 
discovery. 

No  one  could  tell  where  he  was.  In  the  excitement 
which  had  followed  the  discharge  of  the  gun  and  the 
staving  of  the  boat,  no  one  could  tell,  in  the  gloom  of  the 
terrible  moment,-^ what  his  neighbor  had  done  to  secure 
his  own  safety.  Dixon  had  seen  some  one  go  overboard 
before  the  order  was  given,  but  he  did  not  know  who 
it  was. 

"  He  could  not  have  been  killed  by  the  shot,"  said  Mr. 
Jackson,  with  a  shudder. 

"  Perhaps  he  was  hit  by  a  splinter,  sir,"  suggested  one 
of  the  men,  who  proved  to  be  the  stroke-oarsman  ;  "  one 
of  them  struck  me  on  the  shoulder." 

Several  shots  followed  the  first  one  ;  but  it  was  evident 
that  they  Avere  fired  at  random,  and  that  it  had  been  a 
chance  shot  which  struck  the  boat.  The  tide  had  now 
begun  to  run  in,  and  the  shattered  boat  was  drifting  up 
the  sound.  The  shots  Avere  directed  farther  down  the 
inlet.  It  was  evident,  therefore,  that  the  rebels  did  not 
know  where  they  were,  and  had  no  idea  of  the  mischief 
they  had  done. 

Mr.  Jackson,  after  the  wounded  man  had  been  as  com- 
fortably disposed  of  as  the  circumstances  would  permit, 
ordered  the  sail,  which  had  been  placed  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat,  to  be  hauled  under  her  keel,   and    carefully 


220  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

secured  to  the  gunwales.  This  work  was  successfully 
accomplished,  in  spite  of  ail  the  disadvantages  under 
which  the  men  labored.  Ko  one  was  permitted  to  speak 
above  a  whisper,  and  all  noise  was  carefully  avoided,  so 
that  the  rebels  could  not  obtain  any  information  to  direct 
them  in  pointing  their  guns. 

The  men  were  all  ordered  into  the  boat  again.  Of 
course  the  leak  could  be  only  partially  stopped,  and  two 
men  were  detailed  to  bale  the  water  out,  and  two  more 
to  stand  by  the  hole  and  keep  the  canvas  in  its  place. 
The  boat  was  not  in  condition  for  active  service  ;  and  all 
that  could  be  expected  of  her  was,  that  she  would  enable 
the  crew  to  reach  the  Rosalie  in  safety.  Under  these 
discouraging  circumstances  Mr.  Jackson  gave  the  order 
to  return. 

The  dug-out,  with  the  contraband,  had  disappeared 
about  the  time  the  shot  was  fired.  The  negro's  worst 
fears  seem  to  have  been  realized ;  and  he  had  probably 
paddled  away  from  the  scene  of  strife  in  mortal  terror. 
The  lieutenant  did  not  concern  himself  about  the  dug-out 
or  its  timid  occupant ;  his  thoughts  dwelt  only  on  the 
disappearance  of  Somers.  He  had  not  abandoned  all 
hope  of  picking  him  up  on  his  return.  The  middy  was 
a  powerful  swimmer,  and  an  oar  or  a  log  would  enable 
him  to  support  himself  for  a  long  period  on  the  water. 

At  the  risk  of  drawing  the  fire  of  the  rebels,  he  called 
his  name  as  the  boat  proceeded  on  her  course  towards 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        221 

the  Rosalie,  but  without  success.  Everything  was  done 
which  the  circumstances  would  admit  to  recover  the  lost 
officer  ;  and  Mr.  Jackson  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he 
had  swum  ashore,  and,  if  not  captured  by  the  enemy, 
had  concealed  himself  where  he  could  return  to  his  vessel 
the  next  day.  While  he  was  thus  considering  the  fate 
of  his  young  companion,  the  splash  of  the  steamer's 
paddle-wheels  was  distinctly  heard  by  the  crew  of  the 
cutter. 

"  She  is  ahead  of  us,  sir,  and  going  down  the  sound," 
said  Dixon. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  have  made  a  bad  night's  work  of  it," 
replied  Mr.  Jackson.  "  Those  guns  were  not  on  board 
of  the  steamer,  as  I  supposed ;  for  they  are  still  firing 
them.  They  have  got  an  artillery  company  there  to 
protect  the  cotton.  We  can't  catch  the  steamer  if  we 
chase." 

But  there  was  a  remote  possibility  that  something 
might  be  done  to  compensate  for  the  mishaps  of  the 
night,  and  Mr.  Jackson  ordered  the  men  to  give  way 
with  all  their  might,  hoping  that  sometliiug  might  occur 
to  the  steamer  to  delay  or  stop  her.  The  men  pulled 
a  vigorous  stroke  ;  but  using  two  less  than  her  comple- 
ment of  oars,  with  the  drag  of  the  sail  under  her  keel, 
she  made  but  poor  time  through  the  water.  Then,  to 
add  to  these  disadvantages,  and  cover  the  attempt  with 
disaster,  the  canvas  was  drawn  from  its  place,  and  the 
19* 


222  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

water  be^an  to  flow  into  the  boat  a;;ain.  The  chase  was 
abandoned  ;  and  when  the  canvas  had  been  restored  to  its 
former  position,  the  boat  proceeded  slowly  on  her  course. 

The  steamer  was  gaining  rapidly  on  the  boat,  and  was 
now  at  least  a  mile  from  her.  'The  lieutenant  chafed 
and  fretted  under  the  difficulties  of  his  situation,  and 
groaned  in  despair  as  he  heard  the  steamer  speeding  on 
her  way  down  the  sound.  He  could  not  help  thinking  of 
the  miserable  report  he  should  be  obliged  to  give  the 
captain,  on  his  return,  of  the  failure  of  the  expedition,  the 
staving  of  the  boat,  and,  worse  than  all,  of  the  loss  of 
Somers. 

While  he  was  thus  indulging  in  unpleasant  reflec- 
tions, he  was  suddenly  startled  by  the  report  of  a  hea\'y 
gun,  which  he  was  satisfied  was  that  of  the  Rosalie.  A 
lively  cannonading  was  heard  for  a  few  moments  ;  but  it 
soon  ceased,  and  the  lieutenant  ventured  to  hope  that  the 
schooner  had  accomplished  what  he  had  failed  to  perform. 
This  hope,  like  its  predecessor,  was  soon  dissipated  by 
the  nearer  approach  of  the  steamer ;  and  it  was  rendered 
evident  that  she  had  again  put  about,  and  was  seeking 
safety  by  a  return  to  her  former  position. 

"  Now  is  our  time  !  "  said  Mr.  Jackson,  with  energy. 
"  We  will  board  her,  boat  or  no  boat." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  replied  the  stroke-oarsman,  who  did 
the  speech-making  for  the  crew. 

"  Have  your  cutlasses  ready,  my  lads !  "  added  he. 
"  Stand  by  to  lay  on  your  oars !  " 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        223 

When  the  boat  stopped,  Mr.  Jackson  listened  atten- 
tively to  determine  the  position  of  the  steamer.  She  was 
approaching  her,  and  it  was  only  necessary  to  be  quiet 
till  she  came  up.  In  a  short  time  he  could  hear  her 
close  aboard ;  but  when  almost  up  with  the  boat,  she 
shifted  her  helm,  and  stood  away  towards  the  northern 
shore. 

"  Give  way,  Dixon  !  "  said  Mr.  Jackson. 

The  men  bent  on  their  oars,  just  as  the  dark  form  of 
the  schooner  came  in  sight  through  the  fog. 

"  Pull !  pull !  "  shouted  Dixon,  with  a  zeal  which 
promised  good  results. 

The  boat  dashed  up  to  the  schooner :  as  she  came 
abreast  of  her,  the  bowman  made  fast  to  her  side;  and 
the  hopeful  tars  sprang  into  her  chains. 

"  Lay  aboard  of  her !  '*  shouted  Mr.  Jackson,  as  he 
followed  them  up,  and  leaped  on  the  deck. 

But  there  was  no  resistance.  Only  half  a  dozen  men 
appeared  on  the  deck,  and  they  submitted  without  striking 
a  blow.  As  soon  as  the  steamer  realized  the  situation 
of  affairs  on  board  of  her  consort,  she  cast  off  her  tow- 
lines,  and,  thus  relieved  of  her  heavy  burden,  darted 
forward,  and  disappeared  in  the  fog.  It  was  useless  to 
pursue  her,  and  Mr.  Jackson  ordered  his  men  to  let  go 
the  anchor,  for  the  prize,  having  no  sail  on  her,  was 
liable  to  drift  ashore. 

While  the  men  were  engaged  in  this  manoeuvre,  thb 


224  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

second  cutter  of  the  Rosalie,  with  Mr.  Greene  in  charge, 
dashed  up  to  the  schooner,  and  a  dozen  of  her  crew 
leaped  on  board. 

*'  You  are  too  late,  Mr.  Greene,"  said  the  second  lieu- 
tenant.    "  The  prize  is  ours." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  replied  the  third  lieutenant. 
"  We  began  to  be  troubled  about  you  when  we  heard 
the  firing  above.     "What  was  it  all  about  ?  " 

"  We  are  all  right,"  replied  Mr.  Jackson,  who  felt 
that  he  had  saved  his  credit  by  the  capture  of  the 
schooner  ;  "  that  is,  most  of  us  are.  The  first  cutter  had 
a  shot  go  through  her,  and  we  have  lost  Mr.  Somers, 
missing,  and  one  man  killed,  and  one  wounded." 

"  Somers  missing !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Greene.  "  That's 
bad  news." 

"  I  have  strong  hopes  that  he  is  all  right.  I  am  pretty 
well  satisfied  that  he  was  not  killed,  and  we  may  pick 
him  up  in  the  course  of  the  day.  I  dread  to  tell  the 
captain  of  this  part  of  our  mishap." 

'"  I  was  sent  out  to  assist  you  as  soon  as  w^e  heard  the 
firing  ;  but  when  I  found  the  steamer  w^as  coming  down, 
I  went  on  board  to  report,  and  was  then  ordered  to  make 
sure  she  did  not  run  by  us  in  the  fog,"  continued  Mr. 
Greene. 

"  I  will  go  on  board  and  report  with  the  second  cutter," 
said  Mr.  Jackson ;  "  for  I  hope  the  captain  will  move 
the  vessel  up,  and  look  alter   the   company  of  artillery 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        225 

whicli  I  think  is  statioued  up  the  sound.  You  must  keep 
your  weather  eye  open,  Mr.  Greene,  for  I  should  not  be 
surprised  if  an  attempt  was  made  to  recapture  this 
schooner." 

"  I  have  not  a  gun  to  defend  her,  if  the  steamer  should 
return  with  the  artillery  company." 

"  You  shall  hear  from  me  before  she  can  do  that,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Jackson,  as  he  went  over  the  side  into  the 
second  cutter. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Jackson,"  said  the  captain,  as  the  second 
lieutenant  reported  on  board  the  Rosalie,  "  I  began  to 
be  very  much  alarmed  about  you  when  I  heard  the 
firing." 

''  AVe  were  somewhat  alarmed  about  ourselves,  sir,  at 
one  time  ;  and  I  regret  to  report  the  loss  of  one  officer 
missing,  one  man  killed,  and  one  wounded." 

"  One  oflicer  missing,  Mr.  Jackson !  "  exclaimed  the 
captain. 

"It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  add  that  it  is  Mf. 
Somers  ;  but  I  hope  for  the  best  in  regard  to  him." 

Mr.  Jackson  briefly  reported  the  events  which  liad  oc- 
curred during  his  absence,  concluding  with  the  capture  of 
the  cotton  schooner,  and  suggesting  that  she  was  in  dan- 
ger of  being  ret|iken  by  the  rebels.  The  wind  and  the 
tide  would  permit  the  Rosalie  to  be  moved  up  the  sound, 
though  she  was  powerless  to  chase  a  steamer  in  the  oppo- 
site direction.     Orders  were  immediately  given  to  slip 


226  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

and  buoy  the  cable,  and  in  a  few  moments  she  was 
moving  up  the  bay. 

"  What  became  of  the  contraband  who  gave  you  your 
information  ?  "  asked  Captain  Waldron,  when  the  vessel 
was  under  way. 

"  He  disappeared,  I  hardly  know  when.  I  heard  the 
dug-out's  paddle  a  moment  before  the  shot  was  fired.  I 
presume  he  made  the  best  of  his  way  from  the  danger, 
but  in  what  direction,  I  don't  know." 

"  Perhaps  Mr.  Somers  was  picked  up  by  this  contra- 
band," suggested  the  captain. 

"  That  is  utterly  impossible,  sir,"  replied  the  lieuten- 
ant, shaking  his  head. 

"  Why  impossible?  " 

"  Because,  if  Mr.  Somers  had  got  into  the  dug-out,  he 
would  immediately  have  made  his  way  to  our  relief,  for 
he  knew  that  the  boat  had  a  hole  knocked  in  her  side. 
He  is  not  a  man  to  look  out  for  himself  when  his  com- 
rades are  in  danger. 

"  You  are  right,  Mr.  Jackson,"  said  the  captain,  sadly. 

After  considerable  difficulty  in  the  fog  and  darkness, 
the  Rosalie  was  moored  near  the  blockade-runner,  in 
readiness  to  repel  any  attack  which  might  be  made  by 
the  rebels. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        227 


CHAPTER    XX. 

SOMERS    KEEPS    HIS    EARS    WIDE    OPEN   AGAIN. 


m 


C^(^^'  HEN  the  cannon  shot  struck  the  first  cutter, 
Somers  realized,  as  soon  as  any  other  per- 
son in  the  boat,  that  the  expedition  must 
prove  to  be  a  failure.  He  heard  the  water  pouring  in  at 
the  fractured  side,  and  there  was  nothing  to  think  of  at 
that  tremendous  moment  but  the  safety  of  the  officers 
and  crew.  As  we  have  before  shown,  our  middy  was 
not  deficient  in  self-possession ;  and  the  question  of 
what  should  be  done  came  to  his  mind  with  all  the  force 
which  such  an  event  could  require. 

It  so  happened  that  he  had  noticed  the  position  of  the 
dug-out  only  a  moment  before  the  catastrophe  occurred. 
The  contraband,  apparently  frightened  out  of  his  wits, 
when  the  shot  struck  the  boat,  was  paddling  away  from 
the  spot  as  fast  as  hd  could ;  and  when  Somers  looked 
for  it,  it  was  just  disappearing  in  the  dense  fog.  There 
was  only  an  instant  for  reflection  ;  and  before  the  full 
extent  of  the  mischief  was  known,  Somers  had  leaped 
into  the  water,  and  was  swimming  with  all  his  mio-ht 
towards  the  retreating  skifi". 


228  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

There  would  have  been  but  a  slight  chance  of  over- 
taking it,  if  the  contraband,  attracted  by  his  voice,  had 
not  suspended  his  labors,  and  waited  for  him  to  come  up. 
The  water  was  smooth,  and  Somers  made  good  time  ;  but 
the  negro  did  not  offer  to  shorten  the  distance  between 
them  by  paddling  towards  him. 

"  Why  don't  you  pull  up  to  the  boat  and  help  save  the 
men  ?  "  demanded  Somers,  incensed  at  the  stupid  course 
of  the  negi'o. 

''  Golly !  dis  chile's  afeerd  he  be  shot  by  de  cannon 
balls,"  replied  the  contraband,  as  he  helped  Somers  into 
the  boat. 

,  "  Paddle  over  to  the  boat  as  fast  as  you  can,"  said 
Somers,  fiercely,  as  he  sat  down  on  the  bottom  of  the 
dug-out,  out  of  breath  from  the  violence  of  his  exertions. 
,  The  contraband  raised  his  paddle,  as  if  he  intended  to 
comply  with  this  reasonable  demand  ;  but  instead  of  ap- 
plying the  implement  to  its  legitimate  use,  he  sprang 
towards  his  exhausted  passenger,  and  brought  it  down 
with  tremendous  force  upon  the  top  of  his  head.  Somers 
sank  back  in  the  boat,  unconscious  of  what  followed. 
The  boatman,  having  accomplished  this  treacherous  deed, 
paddled  up  the  creek  a  short  distance  to  escape  the  flying 
shots,  and  then  made  for  the  shore,  along  which  he 
rowed  till  his  boat  reached  the  steamer. 

Probably  the  wretch  believed  he  had  killed  his  victim ; 
for  without  devoting  any  further  attention  to  him,  he 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         229 

fastened  the  boat,  and  stepped  upon  the  deck.  He  passed 
half  a  dozen  persons,  but  he  did  not  stop  till  he  had 
reached  the  bow,  where  he  found  the  man  of  whom  he 
had  been  in  search. 

"  Now's  your  time ! "  said  the  black  man.  "  You 
haven't  a  moment  to  spare." 

"Where  is  the  boat?" 

"  Smashed  by  a  shot,  and  one  half  her  crew  killed." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  that  ?  " 

"Am  I  sure  of  it?  I  saw  it  with  my  O'ati  eyes," 
answered  the  black  man.     "  I  picked  up  one  of  them." 

"But  the  firing  must  have  alarmed  the  people  on 
board  of  the  schooner  below,"  replied  the  cautious  cap- 
tain of  the  steamer  —  for  he  was  the  person  who  spoke. 

"  What  of  that?  She  will  depend  upon  her  own  boat, 
which  has  just  been  smashed,  to  head  you  off,  and  will 
not  get  out  another.     Turn  your  wheels  before  it  is  too 

lat«." 

"  Well,  I  will  make  the  attempt,"  said  the  captain. 

The  black  man  returned  to  the  dug-out,  jumped  in,  and 
paddled  round  the  steamer  to  a  point  of  land  on  which 
the  guns  were  posted.  Somers  still  lay  perfectly  quiet, 
and  his  captor  seemed  to  be  of  the  opmion  that  he  never 
would  move  again,  for  he  stepped  on  shore  and  walked 
up  to  an  officer  who  stood  in  the  rear  of  the  guns.  Som- 
ers was  worth  half  a  dozen  dead  men.  The  blow  he 
had  received  was  given  with  the  fla£  of  the  paddle  ;  and 
20 


230  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

though  it  produced  very  great  coufusiou  of  ideas,  —  in- 
deed, a  total  suspensiou  of  all  ideas  for  a  time,  —  it  Avas 
far  from  a  fatal  one.  He  had  begun  to  have  a  tolerably 
clear  idea  that  he  was  still  in  the  laud  of  the  living,  when 
the  black  man  went  on  shore ;  and  before  he  had  been 
gone  fifteen  minutes,  he  was  quite  certain  that  he  was 
not  dead. 

Having  fully  established  this  fact  to  his  own  satisfac- 
tion, he  very  naturally  turned  his  attention  to  the  circum- 
stances which  surrounded  him.  He  first  heard,  then  saw, 
the  steamer,  with  the  schooner  in  tow,  moving  away 
from  the  landing.  He  could  not  prevent  her  from  going  ; 
and  this  fact  filled  him  with  regi'et.  He  was  thankful  to 
God  that  his  life  had  been  twice  spared  within  an  hour, 
and  how  much  shorter  time  he  knew  not. 

Somers  sat  in  the  boat  a  few  moments,  thinking  over 
the  events  which  had  just  happened.  Some  of  the  poor 
fellows  who  had  been  in  the  boat  with  him  had  "  lost 
the  number  of  their  mess,"  and  the  others  were  in  immi- 
nent danger  of  being  captured  by  the  rebels  while  in 
their  helpless  condition,  if  such  an  event  had  not  already 
happened.  Again  his  heart  glowed  with  gratitude  to 
God  for  his  own  preservation. 

"With  this  thought  —  and  not  only  this  thought,  but 
this  feeling  —  present  in  his  mind  and  heart,  he  rose 
from  his  recumbent  posture  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 
The  guns  on  the  sliore  had  ceased  firing,  but  he  coul^" 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        231 

hear  the  voices  of  persons  on  the  point  of  hind.  It  was 
evident  to  him  that  he  had  been  expected  to  lie  still  a 
much  longer  time  than  had  actually  been  the  case,  for 
there  appeared  to  be  no  person  in  charge  of  hira.  Tak- 
ing advantage  of  this  fact,  he  cast  oif  the  painter  of  the 
^ug-out,  and  pushed  her  off  a  little  way  from  the  shore. 

Unfortunately  for  him,  as  he  then  thought,  the  rising 
tide  forced  the  boat  back  to  the  shore.  lie  was  in  the 
act  of  repeating  the  operation,  when  he  heard  voices 
close  by  hira.  Hoping  the  last  push  would  send  the 
boat  far  enough  from  the  land  to  permit  him  to  use  the 
paddle  without  exposing  himself,  he  again  lay  down  in 
the  bottom  of  the  dug-out.  The  voices  of  the  men  came 
nearer,  and  he  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  show  himself. 

''  Now,  Biggs,  you  have  told  me  what  I  ought  to  do, 
and  I  want  to  know  what  you  have  done,"  said  one  of 
the  persons  on  shore,  in  a  voice  which  sounded  strangely 
familiar  to  our  middy. 

"  I  told  you  I  had  smashed  the  boat,  and  killed  half 
the  crew.  More  than  that,  I  have  taken  one  prisoner ; 
and  I  suppose  he  is  dead  by  this  time." 

"Why  dead?" 

"  Because  I  was  obliged,  in  order  to  keep  him  quiet, 
to  knock  his  brains  out  with  the  paddle." 

"  He  won't  miss  them,"  replied  the  first  speaker, 
facetiously,  whose  tones  had  already  caused  the  heart 
of  Somers  to  beat  wildly  with  wonder. 


232  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

He  listened  with  the  most  intense  eagerness  —  not  to 
hear  what  the  speaker  said,  but  to  compare  the  sound  of 
•iiis  ypice  with  the  familiar  one  which  he  recalled.  He 
could  not  believe  the  evidence  of  his  senses,  and  he  re- 
jected the  conclusion  to  which  he  was  tending,  as  an 
illusion  of  his  own  imagination. 

"  If  you  had  taken  the  guns  on  board  the  steamer, 
Mr.  Kennedy  —  " 

Somers  could  hear  no  more,  for  that  name  confirmed 
what  he  had  rejected  as  utterly  and  absurdly  impossible. 
Mr.  Kennedy  !  This  was  the  name  by  which  Biggs  had 
called  him ;  and  this  evidence,  added  to  that  of  the  tones 
of  his  voice,  left  him  no  margin  to  doubt  that  one  of  the 
parties  on  the  shore  was  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy.  This 
gentleman  had  certainly  been  committed  to  Fort  Lafay- 
ette before,  he  left  New  York ;  and  he  was,  within  four 
weeks  of  that  time,  doing  rebel  work  on  the  coast  of 
Georgia.  It  was  strange  and  unaccountable,  and  nothing 
but  the  most  positive  evidence  would  have  justified  him 
in  believing  what  was  now  undoubtedly  a  fact. 

"  I  tell  you  my  orders  would  not  permit  me  to  take  the 
guns  on  board  of  the  steamer,"  replied  Mr.  Phil  Ken- 
nedy, in  the  same  impatient  tone  which  the  listener  had 
so  often  heard  before.  "  Besides,  I  didn't  believe  in  it 
myself." 

"  It  is  the  most  amazingly  stupid  plan  I  ever  heard  of. 
You  might  have  put  your  guns  on  board,  and  bloAved  the 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        233 

schooner  all  to  pieces,  if  she  had  given  you  any  trouble," 
replied  Biggs,  highly  excited  by  what  he  deemed  the 
mismanagement  of  aifairs  on  the  sound. 

"  You  have  a  right  to  your  opinion.  Biggs,  and  you 
can  be  as  blind  as  you  please.  What  sort  of  a  chance 
should  I  have  against  the  Rosalie,  with  her  rifled  fifty- 
pounder,  and  her  four  twenty-fours.  I  tell  you  I  will 
capture  the  schooner,  and  go  on  a  cruise  in  her  within 
two  weeks." 

"  Perhaps  you  wall,"  thought  Somers. 

"  I  have  done  all  that  has  been  done  so  far." 

"  Pray,  what  have  you  done.  Biggs  ?  " 

"  I  have  got  that  schooner  out  to-night,  for  one  thing." 

*'  If  I  had  been  near  enough  at  the  time,  I  should 
have  prevented  her  from  getting  under  way." 

"  I  dare  say  you  w^ould,"  sneered  Biggs. 

'*  She  will  be  captured,  and  the  steamer  .with  her,  very 
likely." 

"  What  was  I  sent  out  in  that  dug-out  for?  "  demanded 
Biggs. 

"  To  give  you  a  little  more  practice  in  nigger  talk," 
laughed  Kennedy. 

*'  Then  I  made  a  blunder,  and  did  the  enemy  more 
damage  than  you  w^ll  in  six  months." 

"  What  damage  have  you  done  ?  " 

*'  I  put  your  guns  in  the  w^ay  of  killing  half  that  boat's 
crew  by  luring  them  in  shore." 
20* 


234  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  That  was  a  chance  shot  which  hit  the  boat.  It  looks 
to  me  just  as  though  you  brouglit  it  in  there  to  enable 
her  to  capture  the  steamer  and  the  schooner.  If  we  hit 
the  boat,  it  was  an  accident,  for  we  could  not  see  or  hear 
the  first  thing  to  aim  at.  I  don't  think  much  of  your 
strategy,  Biggs." 

And  he  was  doomed  to  think  still  less  of  it,  when  the 
steamer  returned  with  intelligence  of  the  schooner's  cap- 
ture. Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  and  Mr.  Biggs  continued  to 
argue  the  point  for  some  time  longer ;  and  Somers 
listened,  as  he  had  done  at  Newport,  with  the  most 
intense  interest.  It  was  remarkable  that  he  should  find 
himself  overhearing  Kennedy's  plots  and  plans  a  second 
time,  though  it  was  not  half  ^so  remarkable  as  that  Ken- 
nedy should  be  there,  when  he  ought  to  have  been  a  close 
prisoner  in  Fort  Lafayette. 

From  all  that  he  heard,  and  all  that  followed  as  a 
matter  of  course,  Somers  derived  some  valuable  infor- 
mation, which  may  be  summed  up  in  briefer  terms  than 
the  conversation  from  which  it  was  deduced-  Biggs  was 
the  black  man,  — ■  a  counterfeit  contraband, — who,  relying 
on  the  Yankee's  faith  in  the  negro,  had  lured  the  boat 
within  range  of  the  guns  on  the  point.  This  fact  our 
middy  could  have  argued  out  without  any  direct  state- 
ment to  that  effect. 

Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  was  there  to  assist  in  running 
sundry  schooners  through  the   blockade ;  but  the  gi'eat 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER. 


235 


Object  be  bad  in  view  was  tbe  capture  of  the  Rosalie,  ia 
which  he  intended  to  go  on  a  cruise  under  the  Confed- 
erate flag.  Much  to  Somers's  disappointment,  be  did  not 
indicate^the  means  by  which  he  intended  to  accomplish 
this  job  ;  and  the  listener  was  inclined  to  agree  with  the 
critical  Mr.  Biggs,  that  he  never  would  do  it. 

a  There  comes  the  steamer!"  exclaimed  Kennedy, 
^vhen  he  bad  ^^'rung  all  the  information  out  of  the  coun- 
terfeit  contraband  which  that  clever  actor  contained,  or 

would  impart. 

''  Then  she  is  not  captured,"  replied  Biggs,  trium- 
phantly. 

"Xo ;  but  she  has  not  had  time  to  tow  the  schooner 

even  down  to  the  Chimney  Spit,  much  less  over  the  bars.'^*^ 

"  I  don't  think  she  has,  but  she  can  speak  for  herself," 

replied  Biggs,  disgusted  with  this  unpleasant  conclusion.^ 

'       ''  I'll  bet  you  my  year's  pay  she  has  lost  the  schooner." 

"  No,  she  hasn't ;  she  is  towing  her  back,  as  she  did 

before.     The  captain  of  that  steamer  hasn't  pluck  enough 

to  look  an  alligator  baby  out  of  countenance." 

"  He  is  a  prudent  man,  and  I  presume  he  has  obeyed 

my  orders."  ^ 

"Very  likely,"  sneered  Biggs.  "But  I  must  look 
after  my  prisoner ;  •  he  may  come  to  Ufe." 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  asked  Kennedy,  carelessly. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  but  I  reckon  he's  an  officer,"  replied 
Bi-o-s,  as  he  walked  towards  the  boat  in  which  Somers  lay. 


236  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


€ 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

SOMERS    UNDER   GUARD. 

'HE  critical  moment  in  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers's 
affairs  appeared  to  liave  arrived.  He  had  kept 
very  quiet  in  the  boat,  hoping  that  something 
would  occur  to  call  Biggs  and  his  dangerous  companion 
away  from  the  spot,  and  enable  him  to  move  to  a  place 
of  safety.  The  return  of  the  steamer  promised  at  one 
time  to  afford  him  this  relief.  The  noise  of  her  escape- 
pipe  could  be  heard  at  no  great  distance,  but  the  pru- 
dence of  Mr.  Biggs  was  likely  to  defeat  his  expectation. 
His  captor  was  approaching  the  boat ;  indeed,  he  was 
on  tlie  point  of  stepping  into  it,  and  it  was  "  now  or 
never  "  with  Mr.  Somers,  for  the  presence  of  Mr.  Phil 
Kennedy  complicated  his  affairs  in  this  quarter.  As  he 
lay  in  the  bottojp  of  the  boat,  he  had  considered  what 
chances  he  had  to  make  a  forward  movement.  He  had  a 
revolver  in  his  belt,  but  it  was  embedded  in  his  wet 
clothes,  and  he  had  some  doubts  about  its  present  fitness 
for  use.  The  paddle  was  in  the  boat,  just  where  Biggs 
had  left  it,  and  Somers  had  one  hand  on  the  implement 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        237 

while  he  listened  to  the  remarks  of  the  gentlemen  /On 
shore. 

Having  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  the  paddle  was  a 
more  reliable  instrument,  for  the  present,  than  the  pistol, 
he  clung  to  it,  and  stood  ready  to  use  it  when  the  critical 
moment  should  arrive.  It  had  come  now  ;  and  when 
Mr.  Biggs  was  on  the  point  of  putting  his  foot  into  the 
dug-out,  he  rose,  and,  with  a  couple  of  energetic  strokes 
with  the  paddle,  propelled  the  clumsy  craft  out  into  the 
fog  and  darkness. 

Half  a  dozen  pistol  shots  were  promptly  discharged  at 
him  ;  but  Somers  was  careful  enough  to  lie  down  in  his 
boat,  as  soon  as  he  had  escaped  from  the  first  and  more 
immediate  peril.  The  balls  whistled  over  his  head  ;  and 
again  he  had  good  reason  to  thank  God  for  his  preserva- 
tion. Not  deeming  it  safe  to  use  the  paddle  yet,  lest  the 
noise  of  it  should  inform  his  enemies  Avhere  he  was,  and 
thus  bring  another  volley  of  pistol  balls  down  upon 
him,  he  lay  still  in  the  dug-out.  He  was  cool  and  self- 
possessed  enough  to  do  this  ;  if  he  had  not  been,  in  all 
probability  his  life  would  have  paid  the  penalty  of  his 
nervousness.  \ 

"  Your  prisoner  is  gone  !  "  said  Phil  Kennedy,  whose 
derisive  tones  were  distinctly  heard  by  Somers. 

"  He  won't  go  far.  I  will  have  him  again,"  replied  Biggs. 

"  Perhaps  you  Avill.     Did  you  say  he  was  an  officer?  " 

"  I  did  —  a  midshipman,  I  think." 


238  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OB 

"  A  midshipman?  " 

"  I  think  he  was.  He  appeared  to  be  on  excellent 
terms  with  the  officer  in  command  of  the  boat." 

"Did  you  hear  his  name?"  asked  Kennedy,  with 
more  interest  than  he  had  before  manifested  in  his  com- 
panion's prisoner. 

"  I  did  not." 

*'  There  is  a  midshipman  on  board  of  that  steamer 
whom  I  want  very  much.  He  and  I  have  an  old  account 
that  must  be  settled,"  continued  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy ;  and 
he  was  evidently  the  "  nable  ossifer  "  alluded  to  by  the 
contraband,  who  appeared  to  have  told  more  truth  than 
the  nature  of  his  business  required. 

"  You  have  got  a  grudge  against  hira  —  have  you  ?  " 

"  I  have.  I  lost  the  Snowden  by  his  operations  ;  but 
that  isn't  the  worst  thing  1  have  against  him." 

"What's  the  other?" 

"  Never  mind  the  other ;  it  is  a  private  matter.  But 
why  don't  you  take  care  of  your  prisoner,  if  you  intend 
to  recapture  him  ?  " 

"  There's  time  enough.  I  have  no  boat  now,  but  the 
steamer  will  be  here  in  a  moment  more." 

She  was  now  within  a  few  rods  of  the  place  where  the 
dug-out  lay,  and  Somers  found  it  necessary  to  change  his 
position,  to  avoid  being  run  down  by  her.  But  he  was 
too  much  interested  in  the  movements  of  his  friends  on 
shore  to  move  a  great  distance,  especially  as  the  fog  and 


THE   ADVENTURES  OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER,        239 

darkness  eifectually  concealed  him  from  the  view  of  the 
rebels.  The  steamer  moved  slowly  up  to  the  point :  she 
had  a  man  on  her  forward  deck  who  constantly  reported 
the  soundings,  as  she  felt  her  way  through  the  fog.  She 
had  returned  without  the  schooner,  which  gave  Somers  a 
hope  and  a  fear  —  a  hope  that  the  Rosalie  had  captured 
the  cotton  vessel,  and  a  fear  that  she  had  escaped  and 
gone  to  sea. 

"  Hallo  ! "  shouted  Kennedy  from  the  shore.  "  Where's 
the  schooner  ?  '* 

"  We  lost  her,"  replied  some  person  at  the  bow  of  the 
steamer. 

"  What  do  you  mean?     Did  you  get  aground?  " 

"  No  ;  the  Yanks  boarded  her,  and  we  had  to  cut  away 
from  her,"  replied  the  captain  of  the  steamer  ;  for  he  was 
the  person  who  answered  the  question. 

"  Glory,  Hallelujah !  "  exclaimed  Somers,  in  an  em- 
phatic whisper,  as  he  listened  to  the  volley  of  oaths  which 
came  from  the  shore. 

"  She  is  two  miles  from  the  man-of-war ;  and  if  you 
will  put  your  men  and  guns  on  board,  we  can  take  her 
again,  with  the  boat's  crew  in  charge  of  her." 

The  steamer  now  touched  the  bank,  and  the  conversa- 
tion between  the  captain  and  the  men  on  shore  was  so  low 
that  Somers  could  not  hear  it ;  but  he  waited  witli  the  most 
intense  interest  for  further  developments.  Success  had 
crowned  the  operations  of  the  liosalie,  in  spite  of  the 


240  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

destruction  of  the  first  cutter.  It  was  plain  that  Captaib 
Waldron  and  his  officers  had  been  wide  awake  ;  but  our 
middy  was  disgusted  with  the  idea  that  the  rebels  might 
recapture  the  schooner. 

Somers  was  suffering  from  a  severe  headache,  pro- 
duced by  the  blow  he  had  received  ;  but  while  he  lay  in 
the  dug-out,  Avhat  he  heard  made  him  feel,  with  uncom- 
mon force,  that  he  was  an  officer  of  the  United  States 
navy,  and  that  he  had  no  right  to  think  of  his  own 
aches  and  pains,  when  there  was  an  opportunity  to  serve 
the  cause  in  which  he  had  enlisted.  He  was  but  a  few 
rods  from  the  steamer,  and  in  great  peril  of  being  cap- 
tured when  the  search  should  be  made  for  him.  Yet  he 
could  not  leave  what  he  regarded  as  a  very  interesting 
and  promising  field  of  labor. 

Further  developments  soon  convinced  him  that  the  ad- 
vice of  the  captain  of  the  steamer  was  to  be  adopted  ;  and 
he  soon  heard  the  orders  given  for  taking  on  board  the 
guns,  and  the  soldiers  or  sailors  —  whatever  they  were  — 
w^ho  manned  them.  In  the  excitement  of  the  hour  he 
hoped  that  Biggs  would  forget  his  prisoner,  or  that  the 
exigencies  of  the  moment  would  not  permit  him  to  make 
the  expected  search. 

The  steamer  lay  w^ithin  a  few  rods  of  him ;  and  he 
cautiously  paddled  the  dug-out  to  a  position  near  her 
stern,  that  he  might  obtain  a  better  idea  of  the  prepara- 
tions lor  the  capture  oi  tlic  bcliooucr.     The  men  were 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.       241 

ruDniDg  out  planks  upon  which  to  roll  the  guns  on  deck. 
Everybody  seemed  to  be  in  earnest,  and  he  could  plainly 
hear  the  voice  of  Phil  Kennedy,  as  he  delivered  his 
orders  from  the  deck.  Somers  trembled  for  the  safety 
of  the  prize,  and  wished  his  own  feeble  hands  could  be 
multiplied  a  hundred,  or  even  ten  fold,  that  he  might  be 
enabled  to  defeat  the  purposes  of  the  rebels. 

To  obtain  a  nearer  view  of  the  operations,  he  rowed 
the  dug-out  up  to  the  stern,  where  he  discovered  the 
steamer's  boat,  which  had  been  towed  behind  her  in 
readiness  for  immediate  use,  if  occasion  should  require. 
Somers  was  a  thoughtful  young  man,  and  he  considered 
that  anything  which  could  be  serviceable  to  the  rebels, 
would,  in  the  same  proportion,  be  injurious  to  the  loyal 
cause.  With  this  thought  in  his  mind,  he  cast  off  the 
boat's  painter,  and  pushed  it  out  into  the  gloom,  where 
the  tide  presently  took  it  in  charge,  and  started  it  off  on 
a  cruise  up  the  sound  or  up  the  creek.  Our  middy  had 
hardly  carried  out  this  suggestion  before  he  hotird  per- 
sons approaching  the  stern. 

"  Are  your  oars  in  the  boat?"  demanded  one  of  them, 
in  the  familiar  tones  of  Bifr":s. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  all  ready,"  replied  one  of  his  companions. 

Somers  pushed  his  dug-out  away  from  the  steamer,  and 
lay  as  still  as  a  mouse,  under  cover  of  the  fog  and  gloom. 

"  Where  is  the  boat  ?  "  continued  Biir<Ts. 

CD 

''  Made  ftist  to  the  stern,  sir,"  replied  the  other. 
21 


242  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"Where?" 

But  the  man  could  give  him  no  further  information. 
The  boat  was  not  there,  and  Biggs  was  so  angry  that  he 
indulged  in  some  big  words,  which  were  neither  pretty 
nor  polite. 

"  All  right,  my  dear  fellow  !  "  said  Somers  to  himself, 
as  pleasantly  as  his  aching  head  would  permit. 

He  was  safe  for  the  present,  at  least ;  for  there  was 
no  other  boat,  as  he  had  heard  Biggs  acknowledge ;  be- 
sides, that  worthy  must  have  felt  that  he  had  delayed  the 
pursuit  so  long  as  to  render  it  almost  hopeless.  Somers 
felt  secure  in  his  present  situation,  and  would  have  felt 
so  even  if  there  had  been  a  boat  to  pursue  him,  for  the 
fog  and  darkness  were  his  best  friends  that  side  of  the 
Rosalie. 

Biggs  swore,  and  ordered  the  men  with  him  to  search 
for  the  boat.  They  did  so,  but  of  course  they  could  not 
find  it.  While  the  party  were  thus  engaged,  Somers 
heard  the  voice  of  Phil  Kennedy  at  the  stem  of  the 
steamer. 

"  The  boat  is  gone,"  said  the  discomfited  Mr.  Biggs. 

"  Gone  !"  exclaimed  Kennedy.  "  We  can't  go  with- 
out a  boat." 

"  You  don't  want  a  boat  to  capture  the  schooner. 
Y-ou  will  get  two  or  three  when  you  take  her." 

"  Very  true ;  but  suppose  we  fail.  Suppose  a  shot 
from  a  boat  howitzer  should  plump  into  the  engine  of  the 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER.        243 

steamer  and  disable  her.  "What  should  we  do  then? 
No,  sir ;  I  have  no  idea  of  being  a  prisoner  of  the 
Yankees,  if  we  fail." 

"  You  are  rery  prudent,  Mr.  Kennedy." 

"  It  is  fortunate  that  I  am.  You  have  lost  one  schoon- 
er for  me  to-night  by  your  rashness,  and  I  can't  afford  to 
lose  myself.    My  boat  lies  on  the  other  side  of  the  point." 

"  I  didn't  know  you  had  one,"  answered  Biggs. 

*'  If  you  had  knoAvn  it,  probably  I  should  not  have 
had  one  by  this  time  ;  it  would  have  been  added  to  your 
contributions  to  the  Yankees.  Take  Wythe  with  you  ; 
he  knows  where  it  is.     She  pulls  four  oars." 

'^  Good  !     I  shall  catch  that  Yankee  yet." 

"  Perhaps  you  will." 

*'  TTe  can  pull  four  miles  to  his  one  in  the  dug-out." 

"  The  fog  is  in  his  favor." 

"  He  will  paddle  with  all  his  might  down  tlie  sound, 
and  we  shall  find  him,  you  may  depend  upon  it." 

Biggs,  confident  as  ever,  hastened  away  to  carry  out 
his  purpose,  leaving  Somers  to  meditate  upon  his  be- 
clouded prospects.  Of  course  it  would  not  be  safe  for 
him  to  move  down  the  bay,  for  the-  four-oar  boat  would 
soon  overhaul  him.  It  would  be  better  to  pull  to  the 
other  side  of  the  creek,  and  go  on  shore  ;  but  the  banks 
of  the  sound,  he  had  reason  to  believe,  were  occupied  by 
rebels,  whose  business  it  was  to  watch  the  Eosalie,  and 
report  her  movements  to  the  blockade-runners  above. 


244  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OB 

The  steamer  which  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  employed  to 
assist  him  in  getting  the  cotton  vessels  to  sea,  was  an 
ordinary  river  boat.  Her  guards,  as  is  usual  in  these 
craft,  extended  over  the  water  nearly  the  whole  length 
of  her.  Somers  knew  all  about  these  river  steamers ; 
and  while  he  was  considering  his  proper  course  under 
the  trying  emergency,  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  might 
save  a  deal  of  hard  paddling  against  wind  and  tide  by 
permitting  the  rebel  steamer  to  tow  him  down  to  the 
scene  of  action.  She  was  high  enough  out  of  water  to 
permit  him  to  run  the  dug-out  under  her  guard. 

This  suggestion  of  his  inventive  genius,  daring  as  it 
was,  he  promptly  adopted.  Passing  the  painter  through 
one  of  the  braces,  far  enough  aft  to  avoid  destruction  by 
the  water  from  the  surging  wheels,  and  far  enough  for- 
ward to  conceal  the  dug-out  from  the  observation  of  any 
on  board,  he  hauled  her  under  the  guard. 

"  Now  I  am  under  guard,"  said  he  to  himself,  face- 
tiously, "  and  I  am  perfectly  safe." 

After  washing  his  aching  head  in  cold  water  again,  he 
lay  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  dug-out  to  await  the  next 
move  of  his  anxious  friends  on  board.  The  operation 
of  transferring  the  guns  from  the  shore  to  the  steamer 
was  a  difficult  one,  on  account  of  the  depth  of  the  mud 
on  the  land ;  and  it  began  to  be  light  in  the  morning 
before  she  was  ready  to  move  off.  Somers  saw  nothing 
of  the  boat  in  which  Biggs  was  to  pursue  the  dug-out ; 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        245 

and  he  concluded  that  she  had  gone  down  the  sound  upon 
this  errand.  ' 

The  steamer  backed  out  from  the  shore,  and  com- 
menced her  third  trip  in  the  direction  of  the  Rosalie. 
As  soon  as  the  boat  began  to  move,  Somers  found  his 
situation  very  uncomfortable.  As  the  steamer  came 
about,  she  heeled  over  so  far  that  the  dug-out  barely 
escaped  being  swamped,  as  the  sinking  guard  forced 
her  deep  down  into  the  water.  The  alarmed  occupant 
grasped  the  painter,  in  readiness  to  let  go  ;  but  as  the 
steamer  righted  up  in  a  moment,  he  decided  to  hold  on 
for  a  time  longer.  While  she  w^ent  on  an  even  keel  he 
did  very  well,  though  his  position  was  by  no  means  a 
comfortable  one.  Unpleasant  as  it  was,  he  remembered 
that  he  had  a  mission  to  perform  ;  and  he  soon  forgot  the 
perils  of  his  situation  in  the  consideration  of  an  exciting 
question. 

21* 


246  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

SOMERS    MEETS    WITH   AN   ACCIDENT. 

OMERS  had  been  seeing,  hearing,  and  inferring 
what  the  rebels  intended  to  do  ;  and  the  most 
important  information  he  had  obtained  was,  that 
they  pm'posed  to  recapture  the  schooner,  now  in  posses- 
sion of  a  boat's  crew  from  the  Rosalie.  On  board  of  the 
steamer  were  at  least  two  guns,  and  not  less  than  twenty 
men.  The  man-of-war  was  two  miles  below  the  cotton 
vessel,  and  out  of  supporting  distance. 

The  fear  that  the  rebels  would  recapture  the  prize  was 
very  trying  to  Somers.  He  was  not  aware  of  the  fact 
that  the  Rosalie  had  run  up  the  sound,  and  lay  within  a 
few  fathoms  of  the  schooner.  The  force  on  the  steamer 
was  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  that  in  charge  of  the  prize  ; 
and  he  saw  no  reason  why  the  rebels,  with  tolerably 
good  management,  should  not  accomplish  their  purpose. 
It  was  his  duty  to  prevent  so  undesirable  an  occurrence, 
if  possible  ;  and  the  important  question  which  he  was  en- 
gaged in  considering  was,  whether  he  could  do  anything 
to  defeat  the  rebels,  either  in  whole  or  in  part. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.^     247 

He  was  a  single  man  against  an  armed  host ;  therefore 
he  could  not  fight  under  present  circumslauces.  But  the 
little  mouse  gnawed  away  the  net  that  confined  the  majes- 
tic lion  ;  and  Somers  looked  about  him  for  some  means 
by  which  he  might  disable  the  steamer.  If  he  could  get 
at  the  engine,  the  removal  of  a  bolt  or  a  pin  might 
render  it  useless  ;  but  it  would  be  fatal  to  expose  himself 
on  the  deck. 

As  he  lay  in  the  dug-out,  he  heard  the  creaking  of  the 
ropes  and  chains  by  which  the  rudder  was  connected  to 
the  wheel  on  the  hurricane  deck.  They  were  within 
reach  of  his  hand,  and  he  immediately  commenced  an 
examination  of  them.  If  he  could  break  this  rope  or 
chain,  the  steamer  would  at  once  become  unmanageable, 
at  least  for  a  time.  But  the  connections  were  all  of  iron 
near  his  locality,  and  it  was  impossible  to  sever  them. 
He  pursued  his  investigations  as  far  as  he  could  ;  but  the 
steamboat  law  requiring  iron  "  tiller  ropes  "  had  been 
complied  with,  so  far  as  he  could  discover. 

The  steamer  was  rapidly  approaching  the  cotton  ves- 
sel, and  if  anything  was  to  be  accomplished,  there  was 
no  time  to  be  lost.  Somers  was  nervous  and  uneasy, 
made  so  by  his  desire  to  do  something  to  defeat  the  inten- 
tions of  the  rebels.  Letting  out  the  painter  of  his  boat,  he 
followed  the  rudder-chains  aft,  in  the  hope  of  finding  a 
point  where  he  could  break  the  connection,  but  without 
success. 


248  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

There  was  yet  another  practicable  expedient,  "vvhich 
afforded  him  some  hope  of  stopping  the  course  of  the 
steamer.  He  tried  to  "jam  "  the  chain  where  it  passed 
through  a  bracket ;  but  in  this,  also,  he  failed.  If  he 
could  follow  the  chain  farther,  it  was  still  possible  that 
he  might  find  a  weak  place,  where  it  could  be  separated  ; 
but  the  rapid  motion  of  the  steamer  prevented  him  from 
doing  this,  for  if  he  cast  off  the  painter,  the  dug-out 
would  go  adrift  in  spite  of  him. 

"WTiile  he  was  mourning  over  his  weakness  and  in- 
ability to  do  the  work  he  had  resolved  to  do,  the  wheels 
of  the  steamer  stopped.  Without  pausing  to  consider 
the  object  of  the  stoppage,  he  cast  off  the  painter,  and 
handed  the  dug-out  round  to  the  stern  of  the  steamer. 
Here  he  found  a  ring,  through  which  he  passed  the 
painter,  and,  without  losing  a  second  of  his  valuable 
time,  he  proceeded  to  make  a  further  examination  of  the 
chain.  To  his  great  satisfaction,  he  found  a  place,  near 
the  rudder,  where  the  chain  had  been  "  toggled  ;  "  that  is, 
one  link  had  been  passed  through  another,  and  secured 
with  an  iron  bolt.  "When  the  chain  was  slack,  he  pulled 
out  the  bait,  and  the  two  ends  dropped  down  into  the 
water. 

Having  performed  this  work,  he  felt  that  his  mission 
was  finished,  and  that  the  steamer  could  go  no  farther 
down  the  sound.  Having  no  other  business  to  transact 
with  the  rebels,  he  concluded  to  push  off,  especially  as  it 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        249 

was  now  nearly  dayliglit,  and  make  the  best  of  his  way 
down  to  the  cotton  schooner,  which  could  not  be  far  off. 

*'  I  have  done  it,"  said  he  to  himself,  as  he  pulled  the 
painter  through  the  ring,  and  shoved  off  the  dug-out 
from  the  steamer.  "Your  pipe  is  out  for  the  present, 
Mr.  Phil  Kennedy." 

The  dug-out  shot  off  into  the  fog ;  and  Mr.  Somers, 
almost  stunned  by  the  noise  of  the  escaping  steam,  of 
which  the  engineer  relieved  the  boilers  when  the  boat 
stopped,  did  not  hear  certain  sounds  which  would  have 
M'arned  him  of  approaching  danger.  Indeed,  he  was  too 
well  satisfied  with  himself,  after  the  important  job  he  had 
done,  to  think  of  anything  except  the  fact  that  he  had 
defeated  another  of  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy's  enterprising 
schemes.  As  the  dug-out  darted  away  from  the  steamer, 
JMr.  Somers's  ideas  were  suddenly  thrown  into  confusion 
by  an  unexpected  crash.  Some  object,  moving  rapidly 
through  the  water,  had  struck  his  frail  craft  on  the  broad- 
side. It  was  borne  under,  and  our  middy  was  "  spilled 
into  the  drink." 

But  Somers  immediately  rescued  his  ideas  from  the 
confusion  into  which  they  had  been  thrown,  and  without 
sapping  to  consider  how  the  catastrophe  had  happened, 
he  struck  out  for  the  steamer,  which  was  not  three 
fathoms  distant  from  him. 

The  crash  had  been  caused  by  the  four-oar  boat,  in 
which  Biggs  had  been  in  search  of  the  dug-out  and  his 


250  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

prisoner.  The  steamer  had  stopped  to  permit  him  to 
come  on  board,  for  he  had  given  up  all  hope  of  recover- 
ing the  prize  he  had  lost.  Just  as  Somers  backed  out 
from  the  stern  of  the  steamer,  the  four-oar  boat  was 
rounding  in  under  her  quarter.  It  was  still  very  foggy, 
and  there  was  not  light  enough  to  enable  Mr.  Biggs  at 
once  to  decide  what  had  happened.  He  was  looking  at 
the  steamer  as  he  rounded  in  under  her  stern  ;  and  the 
men,  sitting  with  their  backs  to  the  bow,  had  not  seen 
the  dug-out. 

"  What's  that?  "  demanded  Biggs,  with  an  oath,  as  he 
grasped  the  gunwale  to  recover  his  balance  ;  for  the  col- 
lision had  given  the  larger  boat  a  very  sensible  shock. 

"  A  boat,  sir,"  replied  the  bowman. 

By  this  time  Somers  was  perched  on  one  of  the  braces 
under  the  guard  of  the  steamer,  engaged  in  relieving 
his  throat  and  nasal  organs  of  an  uncomfortable  quantity 
of  salt  water,  which  the  suddenness  of  the  accident  had 
surprised  him  into  swallowing. 

"  It's  the  dug-out,  sir,"  added  another  of  the  men, 
whose  eyes  were  better  than  those  of  his  companion. 

"  Was  there  any  one  in  her?"  demanded  Mr.  Biggs. 

"  I  think  I  heard  a  man  swimming  and  pufRng  in  tjie 
water,"  said  "Wythe,  who  pulled  the  stroke  oar. 

"  We  have  blundered  on  him  then.  He  can't  be  far 
off,"  added  Biggs,  with  no  little  excitement  at  the  pros- 
pect of  recapturing  his  prisoner. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         251 

The  blood  of  Somers  ran  cold  in  bis  veins  at  the  im- 
minent danger  of  his  position.  He  could  hardly  escape 
being  taken  dotn-,  and  handed  over  to  ISIr.  Phil  Kennedy, 
whose  inveterate  hatred  would  subject  him  to  every 
discomfort,  if  not  to  death  itself.  He  trembled  with 
apprehension  as  he  saw,  at  one  glance,  the  fate  that 
impended.  There  was  hardly  the  shadow  of  a  hope  left ; 
but  he  climbed  in  as  far  as  he  could  under  the  guard, 
and  wedged  himself  under  a  brace. 

The  boat  pulled  up  to  the  steamer's  stem,  on  which 
the  captain  and  Phil  Kennedy  were  now  standing.  Biggs 
was  awfully  in  earnest,  and  he  commenced  a  vigorous 
search  for  his  prisoner.  In  answer  to  a  question  from 
Kennedy,  he  stated  what  had  happened,  and  his  own 
conviction  that  the  Yankee  was  on  board  of  the  steamer. 
But  Mr.  Biggs  could  not  find  his  prisoner.  He  searched 
under  the  guard  and  over  the  guard ;  but  the  middy's 
compact  form  was  too  closely  stowed  away  to  be  seen  in 
the  darkness. 

"  He  has  swum  ashore,"  said  the  captain. 
"  I  don't  believe  it,"  replied  Biggs. 
"  Of  course  he  has,  or   you  would  have  found  him 
before  now.     Come  on  board,  Biggs  ;  we  shall  have  the 
whole  of  them  in  a  few  days,"  said  Phil  Kennedy. 

"  I  know  he  is  about  here  somewhere,"  added  the  con- 
fident Biggs. 

«  Come  on  board,  Biggs  ;  we  can't  stop  here  all  day. 


252  THE    YANKEE   MlDgT,    OR 

"We  have  something  better  to  do,"  continued  Kennedy, 
impatiently. 

*'  I  know  he  must  be  under  the  guard ;  send  me  a 
lantern,  captain,  and  I  will  soon  find  him." 

"  Nonsense,  Biggs  ;  I  tell  you  he  isn't  there.  He  has 
swum  ashore  before  this  time.  Come  here,"  added  Ken- 
nedy, in  a  tone  so  low  that  Somers  could  not  hear  him. 

*'  I'll  bet  my  life  he  is  here,"  answered  the  obdurate 
contraband,  that  was ;  but  he  stepped  on  board  the 
steamer,  as  Kennedy  had  requested. 

The  two  talked  together  for  a  few  moments,  during 
w^hich  the  naval  officer  occasionally  pointed  to  the  boat. 
Biggs  seemed  to  understand  him,  and  to  acquiesce  in 
his  decision  ;  for  the  men  were  ordered  on  board,  and  the 
painter  made  fast. 

Somers  could  hardly  believe  his  senses ;  and,  still 
shivering  with  cold  and  with  apprehension,  he  audibly 
whispered  his  prayer  of  thanksgiving  that  he  had  again 
been  preserved  from  capture.  But  he  had  lost  the  dug- 
out, and  he  had  no  means  of  reaching  the  captured 
schooner  when  the  steamer  abandoned  her  purpose,  as  he 
believed  she  would.  The  prospect  was  not  as  encour- 
aging as  it  had  been  ;  yet  he  had  the  consolation  of 
knowing  that  he  had  delayed,  if  not  prevented  by  the 
delay,  the  recapture  of  the  Rosalie's  prize.  Then  it 
occurred  to  him  that  the  boat  in  which  Biggs  had  been 
searching  for  him  was  at  the  slei^  of  the  steamer ;  and 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OF^ICEIi.       253 

he  decided  to  get  into  it  as  soon  as  practicable,  and  bid 
a  final  adieu  to  his  dangerous  locality. 

He  heard  the  bell  ring  for  the  engine  to  start ;  and  it 
did  start.  The  wheels  began  to  turn,  and  Somers  was 
nearly  drowned  by  the  surging  waters  which  they  heaped 
upon  him.  Presently  he  heard  the  rudder  chain  rattling 
above  him ;  then  the  bells  were  rung  to  stop  and  back 
her ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  helmsman  had  discov- 
ered the  mischief  which  had  been  done. 

'*  Now's  my  time ! "  thought  Somers ;  and  he  began 
to  move  from  brace  to  brace  aft. 

It  was  not  his  time  yet,  and  he  soon  discovered  his 
mistake  ;  for  men  w^ere  sent  to  the  stern  to  repair  the 
damage  done  to  the  rudder  chain.  The  precise  nature 
of  the  mischief  was  soon  ascertained;  but  it  required 
nearly  an  hour  to  overhaul  the  chain,  and  "toggle"  it 
again.  It  was  now  broad  daylight,  though  the  fog  was 
as  dense  as  ever.  Somers  crawled  as  far  aft  as  he  dared. 
He  saw  the  boat  which  he  coveted,  and  had  arranged  the 
method  by  which  he  intended  to  get  into  her  at  the 
proper  moment. 

The  steamer  started  again  ;  but  Somers  was  vexed  to 
find  that  she  was  still  headed  down  the  sound  —  that  the 
delay  had  not  induced  Kennedy  to  abandon  his  purpose. 
She  continued  on  her  course  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
stopped  again.  Our  middy  felt  that  he  had  done  all  he 
could  for  his  country,  and  that  it  was  time  to  do  some- 
22 


254  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

thing  for  himself.  He  had  delayed  the  steamer,  and  it 
was  possible  that  this  delay  had  favored  his  friends, 
though  in  what  manner  he  was  unable  to  tell. 

He  felt  that  the  present  was  his  own ;  and  as  soon  as 
the  wheels  ceased  to  turn,  he  worked  his  way  aft,  and 
seizing  the  painter  of  the  boat,  drew  it  up  so  that  he 
could  jump  into  it.  He  then  tried  to  unfasten  the  painter 
where  it  was  attached  to  the  boat ;  but  finding  this  im- 
possible, he  stood  up  in  the  bow,  and  reached  over  the 
transom  of  the  steamer  to  untie  it  at  the  ring. 

At  that  moment,  a  man,  who  had  been  lying  on  the 
deck,  sprang  forward,  and  seizing  the  venturesome  mid- 
dy by  the  collar  of  his  coat,  jerked  him  on  the  deck,  as 
he  would  have  whipped  a  codfish  from  the  water. 

"  I've  got  you,  my  little  Yank  !  "  exclaimed  the  burly 
fellow  who  had  done  this  unkind  act  for  him. 

"Have  you  got  him?"  shouted  Biggs,  who  had  sta- 
tioned himself  near  the  stern,  apparently  for  the  purposa 
of  witnessing  the  performance  which  had  just  taken  place. 

*'  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  man. 

"  Tell  the  captain  to  go  ahead  again,"  said  Biggs, 
hastening  aft  to  witness  the  discomfiture  of  his  trouble- 
some prisoner.     "  Hold  on  tight,  Wythe  !  " 

There  was  no  need  of  this  latter  caution,  for  "Wythe 
held  our  unfortunate  middy  in  a  grip  of  iron  ;  and  it  was 
utterly  impossible  for  him  to  make  any  resistance. 

"  How  does  your  head   feel,  my  little  fellow  ? "    6.c 


THE   ADVENTURES   OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         255 

manded  Biggs,  in  mocking  tones.  "  I  thought  I  struck 
heavy  enough  ;  but  I  declare  you  have  got  the  thickest 
skull,  even  for  a  Yankee,  that  ever  I  saw." 

Somers  made  no  reply.  He  was  very  much  out  of 
spirits,  and  did  not  feel  a  bit  like  giving  or  taking  a  joke. 
Biggs  ordered  Wythe  to  tie  him  hand  and  foot,  and  make 
him  fast  to  a  stanchion,  which  was  done  in  the  most 
faithful  manner. 


256  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


A   SHOT   FROM   THE    ROSALIE. 


OMERS  had  fallen  into  a  snare  which  had  been 
set  for  him.  Mr.  Biggs  had  not  for  one  moment 
abandoned  his  hope  of  recovering  his  prisoner. 
The  conversation  which  had  taken  place  between  him 
and  Kennedy,  and  which  was  in  so  low  a  tone  that  the 
intended  victim  could  not  hear  it,  was  the  one  thing 
needful  to  enable  Somers  to  keep  out  of  the  hands  of 
his  enemy. 

When  Biggs  w^ent  on  board  of  the  steamer,  Kennedy 
had  suggested  to  him  that  the  Yankee  would  make  his 
way  into  the  boat  and  cast  off  at  the  first  favorable  op- 
portunity. It  was  only  necessary  to  watch  the  boat,  and 
the  game,  if  there  was  any  game  there,  could  be  quietly 
bagged  in  a  few  minutes.  Biggs  assented  to  the  plan, 
and  the  boat  started  ;  but  the  broken  steering  apparatus 
had  produced  a  long  detention,  and  Somers  gave  himself 
up  for  lost  half  a  dozen  times,  when  the  men  who  were 
overhauling  the  chain  came  within  a  few  feet  of  his  perch 
on  the  brace. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        257 

When  the  steamer  started,  the  man  had  been  placed  on 
tlie  dock  so  that  he  could  not  be  seen,  to  watch  him  and 
the  boat.  As  Somers  did  not  hurry  out  from  his  con- 
cealment, it  was  believed  that  the  motion  of  the  boat 
prevented  his  operations  ;  and  she  was  stopped  for  a  mo- 
ment, to  afford  him  an  opportunity  to  be  caught.  Unfor- 
tunately for  him,  he  had  improved  this  opportunity,  though 
it  was  his  last  chance  of  escape,  and  had  been  captured. 
He  Avas  now  a  prisoner,  and  bound  hard  and  fast  to  a 
stanchion.  The  worst  fate,  in  his  own  opinion,  that 
could  possibly  befall  him,  had  overtaken  him.  He  was 
not  only  a  prisoner,  which  was  certainly  appalling  enough 
as  the  rebels  treated  their  prisoners,  but  he  was  in  the 
power  of  Phil  Kennedy. 

The  clouds  hung  dark  and  black  over  him.  His  per- 
sonal misfortune  was  not  the  only  nor  even  the  worst 
side  of  the  picture  ;  for  if  he  had  succeeded  in  saving  the 
cotton  schooner  from  capture,  he  would  have  been  com- 
pensated, in  a  great  measure,  for  the  mishap  of  being 
captured.  But  even  this  comfort  was  denied  him  ;  for  the 
rebel  steamer,  with  two  guns  and  a  squad  of  trained 
artillerists,  was  hastening  down  to  undo  what  the  Rosa- 
lie's people  had  done.  It  was  useless  to  fret,  and  he  tried 
to  make  the  best  of  the  circumstances  which  surrounded 
him ;  but  it  was  hard  work,  with  his  aching  head  and 
disappointed  heart,  to  submit  cheerfully  to  his  destiny. 

Somers  thought  over  the  matter  for  a  time,  and  his 
22* 


258  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    Oil 

sublime  philosophy  soon  got  the  better  of  his  vexation. 
It  was  useless  to  repine  ;  it  would  not  improve  his  condi- 
tion, and  therefore  he  wisely  determined  not  to  repine. 
He  had  done  the  best  he  could,  both  for  his  country  and 
himself,  and  unavailing  regrets  did  not  tend  to  promote 
his  comfort  nor  his  happiness. 

The  steamer  must  now  be  very  near  to  the  captured 
schooner,  and  the  great  event  of  the  morning  must  soon 
take  place.  It  was  evident  to  the  prisoner  that  he  mut^t 
soon  be  joined  by  some  of  his  shipmates,  who  were  to  be 
captured ;  but  he  did  not  look  forward  with  any  satisfac- 
tion to  the  meeting.  •  If  he  could  have  blown  up  the 
boat  on  which  he  was  confined,  he  would  have  been  con- 
tent to  go  to  the  bottom  in  her,  if  he  could  thereby  have 
saved  liis  friends  in  the  Rosalie  from  capture,  and  pre- 
vented the  rebels  from  recovering  the  cotton  vessel. 
Somers  indulged  this  reflection  ;  but  we  are  forced  to  be- 
lieve that  it  was  a  sentimental  idea,  and  that,  when  he 
came  to  a  decision,  he  would  have  chosen  to  remain 
above  water. 

While  he  was  deliberating  upon  his  unpleasant  pros- 
pects, and  was  passing  from  the  depths  of  despondency 
to  the  sublime  heights  of  philosophical  submission,  he 
heard  the  voice  of  Mr.  Biggs,  as  he  M^alked  aft.  That 
gentleman  had  made  several  blunders  during  the  night ; 
he  had  given  the  advice  which  had  caused  the  capture  of 
the  schooner ;  he  had  criticised  the  naval  otficer's  policy  ; 


rnr:  adventures  of  a  naval   officer,     259 

and  it  was  no  little  satisfaction  for  hira  to  be  able  to 
exhibit  even  a  single  Yankee  prisoner,  especially  as. that 
one  was  an  officer.  lie  Avas  dispcved  to  make  some  dis- 
play of  his  prowess,  and  he  was  now  conducting  Mr. 
Phil  Kennedy  aft  to  show  him  his  prize. 

"  If  your  prisoner  has  not  escaped  again,  you  have 
done  one  thing  to-night,  Biggs,"  laughed  Kennedy,  as 
they  approached  the  place  where  Somers  was  tied  to  the 
stanchion. 

"  That's  more  than  you  can  show  for  your  night's 
work,"  growled  Biggs,  who,  by  tliis  time,  had  washed 
off  most  of  the  burnt  cork  which  had  transformed  him 
into  a  contraband. 

*'  You  are  sharp.  Biggs.  What  is  the  rank  of  your 
prisoner  ?  " 

"  A  midshipman  ;  but  he  is  a  smart  fellow,  and  if  we 
had  half  a  dozen  like  him  in  the  Confederate  navy,  we 
should  have  done  something  before  this  time." 

"  Thank  you  !  "  thought  Somers,  wiio  could  not  help 
acknowledging  this  lian<l.'^ome  compliment. 

"  No  doubt  .of  it ;  half  a  dozen  men  with  your  ideas 
would  have  ruined  the  Confederate  States  before  this 
time.     "Where  is  your  prisoner  ?  " 

"  Here  he  is,"  replied  Biggs,  as  he  walked  up  to  tlie 
stanchion  with  a  lantern  in  his  hand,"  which  he  held  up 
so  that  the  naval  officer  could  see  our  middy. 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Mr.  Somers  !  "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  as 
he  recognized  the  features  of  the  prisoner. 


260  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

It  was  plain  that  the  meeting  was  entirely  unexpected 
to  him,  for  he  started  back,  at  first,  in  the  utmost  aston- 
ishment. 

"No  doubt  you  are  better  pleased  to  see  me  than  I  am 
to  see  you,"  replied  Somers,  pleasantly,  for  he  knew  how 
much  satisfaction  it  would  give  Kennedy  to  see  him  de- 
spondent and  depressed. 

"  Well,  my  dear  fellow,  I  am  exceedingly  rejoiced  to 
meet  you ;  and  if  you  are  not  glad  to  see  me,  of  course 
that  is  not  my  fault.  Circumstances  have  slightly 
changed  since  we  met  last,"  continued  the  traitor. 

"  Accidents  will  happen,"  replied  Somers,  coolly. 

*'  Then  I  was  your  prisoner.     Now  you  are  mine." 

"  Mine,  if  you  please,"  interposed  Biggs,  unwilling  to 
be  deprived  of  his  hard-earned  honors. 

"  Well,  it's  all  the  same.  As  your  prisoner  is  a  par- 
ticular friend  of  mine,  a  young  gentleman  to  whom  I 
have  taken  a  great  liking,  I  am  going  to  ask  you,  as  a 
special  favor,  to  turn  liim  over  to  me.    I  want  to  use  him." 

*'  Certainly,  lieutenant  —  with  the  greatest  pleasure." 

"  Mr.  Somers,  I  can't  help  commending  my  friend,  Mr. 
Biggs,  for  his  ability,  when  I  consider  that  he  has  cap- 
tured Miss  Portington's  prodigy.  He  is  smart,  Mr. 
Somers." 

"  I  recommend  him  to  join  the  first  band  of  negro 
minstrels  he  can  find,  for  lie  has  a  very  decided  talent  in 
that  direction,"  said  Somers. 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         261 

"  Good  !"  added  Kennedy.    "  You  are  as  witty  as  ever." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Kennedy.     That  reminds  me  that 

your  wits  have  served  you  better  on  this  than  on  a  former 

occasion,  Avhich  you  will  readily  recall.     I  think  I  left 

you  locked  up  in  Fort  Lafayette." 

"  You  did,  my  dear  Somers ;  but  of  course  you  did 
not  expect  me  to  remain  there  any  great  length  of  time." 
"How  did  you  get  out?"  asked  Somers,  who  was 
burning  with  curiosity  to  know  how  he  happened  to  be  in 
Georgia  at  that  particular  time,  though  he  did  not  very 
confidently  expect  an  answer. 

"  I  walked  out,  my  sympathizing  friend." 
"  I  didn't  know  but  the  traitors  there  were  ashamed 
of  you,  and  kicked  you  out,"  answered  Somers,  with  an 
unpardonable  w^ant  of  politeness. 

"  Excellent,  Somers.  Miss  Kate  Portington  would 
have  given  you  a  crown  of  roses  for  that  brilliant 
remark." 

"  Schooner  in  sight,  sir,"  said,  an  officer,  who  had 
been  sent  aft  to  inform  Kennedy  of  the  fact. 

''  I  must  leave  you  for  a  time,  ray  dear  Somers,"  said 
the  rebel  naval  officer,  in  mocking  tones.    "  When  I  have 
captured  your  ship's  prize,  I  will  do  myself  the  honor  to 
meet  you  again." 
"  Thank  you,  sir." 

Somers  was  glad  to  have  him  go,  not  only  because 
he   disliked   the   man,    after    what   had    happened,   but 


262  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

because  he  felt  vexed  at  the  idea  of  a  rebel  success,  aud 
lie  was  afraid  he  might  betray  his  feelings.  As  sood  as 
Kennedy  had  gone  forward,  where  the  guns  were  placed, 
the  steamer  "  slowed  down,"  aud  cautiously  approached 
her  expected  victim.  Somers  was  disturbed  by  the  most 
painful  emotions  ;  for  he  felt  that  he  was  doomed  to  be  a 
spectator  to  one  of  the  navy's  reverses,  which  had  been 
so  few  aud  far  between,  that  our  gallant  tars  have  not 
become  at  all  accustomed  to  them,  aud  have  not  learned 
to  look  upon  them  with  anything  like  toleration. 

Everybody  was  busy  forward,  now,  either  in  watching 
the  progress  of  the  exciting  event,  or  in  making  prepara- 
tions for  it.  Somers  could  catch  an  occasional  glimpse 
of  the  cotton  steamer,  just  visible  in  the  dense  fog,  as  he 
gazed  eagerly  through  the  vista  of  men,  guns,  and  ma- 
chinery which  lay  between  him  and  the  vessel.  He  could 
now  see  that  Kennedy's  force  were  sailors,  and  that  there 
were  as  many  as  thirty  of  them.  There  seemed  to  be 
no  chance  for  the  people  of  the  Rosalie,  in  charge  of 
the  schooner,  to  make  a  successful  resistance,  and  with  a 
sinking  heart  Somers  saw  that  the  steamer  was  bearing 
dow^n  upon  her  prey,  already  —  as  the  rebels  viewed  it  — 
within  her  grasp. 

Suddenly,  however,  a  change  came  over  the  spirit  of 
their  dreams ;  for,  as  the  steamer  advanced,  the  graceful 
outline  of  the  Rosalie  was  discovered,  moored  a  short 
distance  from  the  cotton  vessel.     This  was  more  than 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF    A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        2G3 

they  hud  bargained  for,  and  more  than  they  were  pre- 
pared to  meet ;  and  the  rebels  were  at  once  lllled  with 
cbusternatlon. 

'*  Hard-a-port  the  helm  !  "  shouted  Kennedy,  with 
energy. 

"  AVhat's  tlie  matter  now  ?  "  demanded  Biggs. 

"Don't  you  see  that  man-of-war?"  said  Kennedy, 
nervously. 

"  Are  you  going  off  without  giving  or  taking  a  shot?  '* 
added  Biggs,  in  disgust. 

But  this  valiant  gentleman  was  not  to  be  entirely  dis- 
appointed ;  for,  as  the  steamer  swung  round,  the  thunder 
of  the  Rosalie's  big  gun  broke  on  the  quiet  of  the  dark 
morning,  and  the  shot  crushed  through  the  upper  works 
of  the  boat.  At  the  same  moment,  and  while  the  pine 
wood  was  still  cracking  around  him,  Somers  found  him- 
self lying  flat  on  the  deck,  with  the  stanchion  still  clino"- 
iiig  to  him  ;  but  he  w^as  quite  certain  that  he  had  not 
been  killed. 

The  shot  had  struck  the  steamer  just  abaft  the  port 
paddle-box,  and  passed  diagonally  throngli  her  upper 
works.  It  had  torn  away  a  portion  of  the  cabin  floor, 
striking  the  stanchion  to  which  Somers  had  been  fastened, 
and  as  it  had  fallen,  the  prisoner  went  down  with  it. 
When  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  he  was  not  killed,  or 
even  materially  injured,  the  truth  dawned  upon  him  that 
the  Ilo>alie  had  moved  up  the  bay.  and  was  in  position  to 
defend  her  prize. 


2G4  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

*'  Hail,  Columbia  !  "  shouted  Somers,  as  the  gratifying 
fact  became  evident  to  his  understanding. 

As  the  rebels  had  received  a  shot,  though  they  had  not 
given  one,  Mr.  Biggs  was  probably  sati.-^ried  ;  at  any 
rale,  the  crashing  of  pine  boards  prevented  him  from 
making  any  further  suggestions  to  the  naval  officer,  and 
he  walked  aft  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  damage, 
possibly  in  search  of  a  safer  place  than  the  open  deck 
afforded.  Th>B  exclamation  of  his  prisoner  caught  his 
ear,  and  he  saw  that  the  stanchion  had  been  sliot  away. 
From  prudential  or  other  motives  he  went  forward  again, 
to  call  Wythe's  attention  to  the  matter,  instead  of  exam- 
ining into  it  himself. 

Somers  could  not  help  thinking  that  the  shot  had  been 
a  godsend  to  him,  and  he  used  his  best  endeavors  to 
shake  off  the  stanchion,  which  still  clung  to  him  ;  but,  as 
his  feet,  as  well  as  his  hands,  were  tied,  he  met  wdth  but 
indifferent  success.  While  he  was  wriggling  and  twist- 
ing to  disengage  himself  from  his  encumbrance,  another 
shot  struck  the  steamer,  and  smashed  through  her  upper 
works.  Unfortunately  for  him,  the  machinery  of  the 
boat  was  not  struck,  and  she  still  sped  on  her  way  from 
her  dangerous  situation. 

While  the  prisoner  was  still  exercising  his  inventive 
genius  over  the  stanchion,  Wythe  came  aft,  and  relieved 
him  from  all  further  exertion  by  removing  the  broken 
stanchion,  and  making  him  fast  to  another.     The  hope. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    XAVAL    OFFICER.        265 

which  Somers  had  cherished,  of  escaping  during  the  con- 
fusion, Avas  lost  to  him,  and  he  submitted,  with  the  best 
gi'ace  he  could  command,  to  whatever  doom  his  foes  had 
in  store  for  him.  Shot  after  shot  from  the  heavy  gun  of 
the  Rosalie  followed  the  retreating  steamer ;  but  as  she 
was  now  under  the  protecting  mantle  of  the  fog,  she  was 
not  hit  again,  and  continued  on  her  way  np  the  sound. 
This  time  she  did  not  stop  at  the  point  of  land  where  the 
guns  had  been  posted,  but  proceeded  up  one  of  the  rivers, 
where  the  shallow  water  would  not  permit  the  formidable 
man-of-war  to  follow  her.  At  a  safe  point,  she  was 
moored  to  a  tree  on  the  bank. 

While  Somers  was  carefully  watching  the  movements 
of  the  steamer,  "Wythe  came  aft,  unloosed  him,  and  con- 
ducted him  to  the  cabin  above  the  main  deck,  where  he 
found  Kennedy  seated  at  a  table. 
23 


266  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

IN   THE    CABIN    OF    THE    VIOLA,  i 

ENNEDY,  disappointed  by  the  failure  of  the 
expedition  down  the  bay,  was  morose  and  even 
savage  ;  but  he  knew  the  humor  of  his  prisoner 
well  enough  to  understand  that  any  exhibition 
of  ill  nature  on  his  part  would  subject  him  to  a  storm  of 
taunts  and  sarcasms  which  were  more  unwholesome  to 
him  than  even  the  screaming  of  shells  and  the  hissing  of 
cannon  shot.  There  w^as  on  his  face  an  expression  of 
triumph,  as  he  glanced  at  Somers  —  an  expression  which 
boded  no  good  to  the  unfortunate  young  man. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Somers,"  Kennedy  began,  intent  upon 
making  the  captivity  of  his  prisoner  as  bitter  as  possible, 
"  I  am  at  liberty  now  to  bestow  further  attention  upon 
you," 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Somers,  with  a  low  bow. 
"  You  are  in  my  power  now,"  added  Kennedy,  as  his 
compressed  lips  indicated  an  intention  to   use  his    ad- 
vantage. 

"  I  am ;  and  my  hands  are  tied  behind  me,  so  that 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         2G7 

you  need  not  foar  to  say  and  do  anything  Avhicli  your 
amiable  nature  may  suggest." 

The  lieutenant  bit  his  lips,  for  he  did  not  like  the  im- 
putation on  his  courage  which  the  remark  conveyed.  He 
-was  tempted  to  fly  into  a  passion  ;  but  he  feared  that  his 
prisoner  would  keep  cool,  and  sting  him  with  his  tongue 
beyond  what  he  could  endure. 

'  "  You  are  my  prisoner,  Mr.  Somers,"  he  repeated. 
•'  You  have  eluded  my  grasp  several  times  before  ;  but  I 
have  you  sure,  now." 

"  There  can  be  no  possible  doubt  of  the  fact,  Mr. 
Kennedy.  I  have  no  intention  of  denying  or  refuting 
your  position.     I  await  your  pleasure." 

''  You  carry  a  very  bold  face  upon  the  matter.  I 
think  you  don't  quite  understand  your  situation,"  sneered 
Kennedy. 

"  Perfectly." 

"  I  think  not.  The  circumstances  under  which  you 
were  captured  justify  me  in  regarding  you,  not  as  a 
prisoner  of  war,  but  as  a  spy." 

"  Anything  you  please,  Mr.  Kennedy,"  replied  Som- 
ers,  with  apparent  indifference  ;  but  it  is  useless  to  deny 
that  he  was  appalled  at  the  announcement. 

"  The  court-martial  which  I  have  summoned  will 
make  all  that  plain  to  you." 

"  I  am  ready  for  anything  that  may  come,  while  I  am 
in  your  power,"  said  Somers. 


268  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Have  you  no  favor  to  ask  of  an  old  friend?" 

"  None." 

"  I  wish  to  save  you,  Mr.  Somers,  from  the  conse- 
quences of  your  own  folly." 

"  Then  of  course  you  will  do  so." 

"  I  cannot  do  so  without  some  acknowledgment  on 
your  part." 

"Of  what?" 

"  Of  the  error  of  your  ways." 

"  I  am  not  conscious  of  any  errors,  such  as  you  indi- 
cate. I  have  done  my  duty  to  my  country  as  well  as  I 
could,"  replied  Somers,  firmly. 

"  That's  all  nonsense,"  said  Kennedy,  impatiently, 
"  We  will  not  talk  politics.  You  have  upset  all  my 
calculations  several  times." 

"  That  was  your  fault,  not  mine.  You  should  not 
have  engaged  in  such  calculations." 

"  You  need  not  give  me  any  good  advice.  I  don't 
propose  to  hear  it." 

"  I  think  it  would  be  wasted  if  I  did." 

*'  You  have  been  a  stumbling-block  in  my  path  since 
the  first  time  I  saw  you.  You  are  aware  that  you  have 
crossed  me  in  that  wherein  no  man  will  brook  any  inter- 
ference. Before  I  left  Ne-vN^ort  I  found  myself  less  wel- 
come at  the  house  of  Commodore  Portington  than  before 
you  went  there." 

"  And  I  fancy  that  you  will   be  still  less  welcome 


THE  ADVEXTURES   OF   A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        269 

whenever  you  go  there  again,"  added  Somers,  very  im- 
pudently. 

"  Very  likely.  You  own  your  guilt,  and  seem  to 
pride  yourself  in  it." 

"  I  own  no  guilt.  I  refer  wholly  to  your  treasonable 
conduct.  Miss  Portington  —  for  I  will  not  aiFect  to  mis- 
understand you,  Mr.  Kennedy  —  will  never  smile  upon  a 
traitor  to  his  country." 

"  You  use  hard  terms,  Mr.  Somers,  and  wrong  ones. 
I  am  a  native  of  Maryland.  I  go  with  the  South  ;  and  I 
am  as  true  to  her  as  you  are  to  the  North.  There  is  a 
difference  of  opinion  betAveen  us  ;  and  it  would  be  wiser 
and  safer  for  you,  sir,  not  to  use  hard  words  when  milder 
ones  will  suit  the  case  better,"  replied  Kennedy,  his 
brow  darkening  with  anger. 

"  Miss  Portington  is  also  a  native  of  Maryland  ;  but 
she  sticks  to  her  colors." 

"  Simply  because  her  father  does  ;  but  we  will  not 
discuss  that  question,  for  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  either 
of  us  at  present.  By  some  means,  best  known  to  your- 
self, you  caused  Miss  Portington  to  dislike  me.  Of 
course  you  used  your  tongue  to  my  prejudice." 

"  I  never  uttered  a  syllable  to  her  in  disparagement 
of  you  or  any  other  person,"  replied  Somers,  warmly. 
'•  On  the  contrary,  I  had  a  very  high  regard  for  you 
until  your  treasonable  practices  opened  my  eyes  ;  and  I 
always  expressed  myself  so  to  her,  and  to  others.  Since 
23* 


270  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

that  I  have  never  spoken  to  her  of  you  in  any  other 
than  respectful  terms." 

"  Your  apology  is  well  dra-wn  np,"  sneered  Kennedy. 

"  I  make  no  apology.  I  only  wished  to  say  that  I 
never  presumed  to  look  upon  Miss  Portington  as  any- 
thing but  a  friend.  I  never  made  any  pretensions  in 
that  direction." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  promise  me  that  you  will  never 
see  her  again  ?  '* 

"  No  ! " 

"  Consider  your  situation,  Mr.  Somers,"  said  Kenne- 
dy, in  mocking  tones.  "  You  are  in  my  power,  charged 
with  being  a  spy." 

"  If  you  are  afraid  of  me,  in  your  Newport  rela- 
tions —  " 

*'  Nothing  of  the  sort,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  proudly. 
"  I  wish  you  to  confess  for  your  own  sake,  not  mine." 

"  I  sliall  not  do  it,  either  for  your  sake  or  mine.  All 
I  have  to  say  about  Miss  Portington  is,  that  you  have 
ruined  all  your  hopes  with  her,  if  you  ever  had  any. 
The  Snowden  affair  was  quite  enough  to  satisfy  her,  I 
presume." 

"  By  the  way,  Mr.  Somers,  you  managed  that  affair 
very  well." 

"  I  didn't  manage  it  at  all.     It  managed  itself." 

"  You  put  Coles  in  the  fort,  and  brought  poor  Tubbs 
to  irrief." 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        271 

*'  My  agency  in  those  affairs  was  very  small.  Mr. 
Tubbs  exposed  himself." 

"  Exactly  so  ;  Mr.  Tubbs  -was  a  fool,  and  that  is  the 
reason  -svhy  I  employed  him.  Coles  was  no  fool,  and 
you  used  him  up,  and  finally  you  brought  me  to  the 
ring." 

Somers  tried  to  fathom  the  purpose  of  his  inquisitor. 
It  was  evident  that  he  had  some  object  to  gain,  for  he 
could  not  be  making  all  these  mortifying  acknowledg- 
ments for  nothing. 

"  Nothing  of  this  kind  could  have  happened,  if  you 
and  your  friends  had  not  been  engaged  in  a  bad  specula- 
tion," replied  Somers. 

"  More  good  advice.  I  suppose  you  think  that  those 
who  do  their  duty,  as  you  understand  it,  never  come  to 
grief,"  sneered  Kennedy. 

"  The  fact  that  I  am  here  now  shows  that  I  don't 
believe  any  such  thing.  Misfortunes  overtake  all  men  ; 
but  those  who  are  faithful  to  duty  have  the  courage  to 
endure  them." 

"  That's  a  pious  thought.  I  suppose  you  think  you 
have  the  courage  to  endure  whatever  comes  of  this 
affair." 

"  I  trust  in  God,  and  intend  to  do  my  duty.  If  it  is 
his  will  that  I  should  suffer,  I  will  be  as  firm  as  I  can.'* 

''  We  shall  see  about  that  pretty  soon,  for  the  rope  by 
which  you  will  hang  is  waiting  you  now." 


272  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Hang !  "  exclaimed  Somers,  startled  by  the  word. 

"  Certainly  ;  that  is  what  you  will  come  to  within  a 
few  hours,  unless  you  are  less  haughty  than  you  have 
been  yet,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"Do  you  hang  your  prisoners?"  demanded  Somers, 
—  a  cold  chill  creeping  through  his  vefns  as  he  consid- 
ered how  probable  such  a  fate  was  in  the  hands  of  so 
inveterate  a  foe. 

"  Spies  are  hung  on  both  sides,  as  you  arc  aware.  In 
few  "words,  Mr.  Somers,  you  have  been  in  my  camp,  and 
on  board  my  steamer,  listening  to  all  we  said,  counting 
our  guns  and  men,  and  doing  us  what  mischief  you  could 
while  in  our  midst.  This  morning  you  uutoggled  the 
tiller  chains  of  the  Viola,  and  prevented  me  from  cap- 
turing the  schooner.  This  I  call  being  a  spy ;  for  you 
conducted  all  your  operations  within  my  lines." 

"  But  I  was  captured  by  one  of  your  men  —  by  Mr. 
Biggs,"  replied  Somers,  discouraged  by  the  appalling 
array  of  facts  which  his  persecutor  alleged  against  him  ; 
not  that  they  would,  before  any  fair  tribunal,  convict 
him  as  a  spy,  but  because  ho  knew  that  his  enemy  w^as 
malicious  enough  to  draw  any  conclusion  from  these  facts. 

"  I  grant  it." 

"  Mr.  Biggs  left  me  for  dead  in  the  dug-out." 

"  But  you  were  not  dead  ;  and  instead  of  making  your 
escape,  as  you  could  have  done,  you  went  on  board  of 
the  steamer ;  you  went  iulu  your  enemy's  premises.     If 


THE   ADVENTUIiES    OF,  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        273 

you  had  escaped  when  it  was  in  your  power,  and  then 
been  recaptured,  you  could  not  have  beeu  held  as  a  spy." 

Somers  was  forced  to  acknowledge  that  there  was  an 
appearance  of  justice  in  the  conclusion  of  Kennedy,  and 
he  already  felt  the  rope  of  the  hangman  pressing  against 
his  neck.  If  his  implacable  foe  wanted  to  hang  him, 
there  was  no  difficulty  in  procuring  the  charge,  and  the 
testimony  upon  which  the  deed  could  be  perpetrated. 

"  You  understand  the  matter,  I  perceive,  Mr.  Somers," 
said  Kennedy,  when  the  prisoner  relapsed  into  silence, 
and  contemplated  the  disgraceful  death  to  Avhicli  he  had 
already  been  doomed,  in  advance  of  a  coiirt-martial's 
decision. 

"  I  do,  sir,"  replied  Somers,  in  a  sad  and  subdued 
tone  ;  "  if  you  choose  to  hang  me,  you  can  do  so.  I 
have  no  power  to  prevent  it." 

"  You  will  perceive  that  your  conduct  justly  entitles 
us  to  regard  you  as  a  spy ;  and  as  my  operations  here 
permit  of  no  delay,  I  have  summoned  a  court-martial 
to  sit  upon  your  case  forthwith." 

*'  Then  you  are  determined  to  sacrifice  me  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  desire  to  save  you." 

"  Mr.  Kennedy,  if  you  have  any  proposition  to  make 
to  me,  I  beg  you  to  make  it  at  once,"  said  Somers,  dis- 
gusted with  the  conduct  of  the  inquisitor.  "  I  will  not 
deny  that  I  don't  wish  to  be  hung." 

"  You  are  beginning  to  be  quite  sensible,  Mr.  Somers. 


274  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

I  have  no  proposition  to  make.  If  you  have  any,  I  am 
willing  to  hear  it." 

Kennedy  was  too  proud  to  offer  terras ;  they  must  be 
proposed  by  Somers.  Our  middy  was  perplexed.  Life 
was  sweet  to  him,  and  he  was  completely  in  the  power 
of  the  villain,  who  had  plainly  announced  his  intention 
to  hang  him  as  a  spy,  without  even  consulting  his  supe- 
rior. It  was  possible  that  Kennedy  was  only  trying  to 
frighten  him  into  something  —  what,  he  did  not  know; 
but  he  determined  to  find  out,  if  he  could. 

"  Shall  I  pledge  myself  never  to  see  Miss  Portington 
again  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  Yes ;  that  would  be  a  decent  reparation  for  the 
wrong  you  have  done  me,"  replied  Kennedy,  with  appar- 
ent indifference. 

"  Shall  I  beg  your  pardon  for  causing  the  capture  of 
the  Snowden  and  the  Tlieban,  and  for  bringing  Mr.  Coles 
and  Mr.  Tubbs  to  justice  ?  " 

"  That  would  do  no  good ;  you  can  do  better  than 
that,"  added  Kennedy,  with  a  smile,  as  though  he  had  at 
last  come  to  a  result. 

''  What  can  I  do  ?  " 

"  You  can  inform  me  where  you  obtained  your  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  Snowden." 

"  Truly,  I  can  inform  you,"  answered  Somers,  musing. 

"  Very  good,  Mr.  Somers ;  if  you  agree  to  these  two 
things  —  " 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        275 

"  Wliat  two  things  ?  " 

"  Never  to  see  Miss  Portington  again,  and  to  tell  me 
where  you  obtained  your  information  in  regard  to  the 
Snowden  and  tljie  other  vessel.  If  you  will  agree  to 
these  two  things,  I  will  promise  to  use  my  utmost  en- 
deavors to  save  your  life." 

"  I  will  consider  the  matter,"  replied  Soraers,  thought- 
fully. "  I  see  no  objection  to  telling  you  where  I  got  my 
information.     It  can  harm  no  one  now." 

"  I  wish  to  know  who  the  traitor  was  that  betrayed 
me  ;  thus  shifting  the  responsibility  from  you  to  him." 

"  You  will  not  have  to  go  a  great  way  to  find  him." 

"Who  was  he?" 

"  It  was  you,  yourself." 

"  Are  you  trifling  with  me?"  said  Kennedy,  sternly. 

"  I  speak  the  truth.  How  long  will  you  give  me  to 
consider  the  terms  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  While  I  eat  my  breakfast." 

*'  What  will  be  done  with  me  in  case  I  accept  the 
terms  ?  " 

"  Your  life  will  be  spared,  and  you  will  be  sent  to 
Savannah  as  a  prisoner  of  war." 

"  I  will  think  of  it." 

"  Take  your  prisoner  down  to  the  main  deck  again," 
added  Kennedy,  after  he  had  called  in  Wythe,  who  had 
been  sent  out  of  the  cabin  at  the  beginning  of  the  inter- 
view. 


276  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

Somers  had  already  decided  not  to  accept  the  degrad- 
ing and  humiliating  terms  ;  at  least  not  till  the  sham 
court-martial  had  convicted  him.  He  had  never  made 
any  pretensions  in  respect  to  Kate  PoWington  ;  but  the 
idea  of  being  pledged  never  to  see  her  again  was  so 
repulsive  that  lie  could  not  entertain  the  thought.  He 
had  no  right  to  do  so,  he  felt ;  for  even  if  he  did  not 
wish  to  see  her,  she  might  wish  to  see  him  ;  and  if  such 
a  baro-ain  was  to  be  made,  she  ought  to  be  a  party  to  it. 

We  are  disposed  to  believe  that  Somers  intended  to 
decline  the  arrangement  because  he  did  not  think  Phil 
Kennedy  would  dare  to  execute  his  infernal  threat  —  be- 
cause he  thought  the  whole  thing  was  a  plot  to  humbug 
and  deceive  him. 

While  he  was  still  considering  the  matter,  Wythe 
came  for  him  again. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.       277 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

THE   COURT-MARTIAL   AND    ITS    SENTENCE. 


» 


(^C^^  ELL,  Mr.  Somers,  what  is  your  decision?" 
asked  Kennedy,  as  he  was  again  ushered 
into  the  cabin.  ^'  Have  you  concluded  to 
accept  the  terms  ?  " 

*'  I  have  concluded  not  to  accept  them,"  replied  Som- 
ers, firmly. 

Kennedy  looked  disconcerted  and  angry.  It  was  some 
time  before  he  spoke. 

"  Why  so  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  I  thought  you  had  con- 
cluded to  do  so  before  we  parted." 

"  No,  sir." 

"  You  saw  no  objection  to  informing  me  where  you 
obtained  your  information." 

"  I  see  none  now." 

*'  Then  the  other  point  is  the  one  to  which  you  ob- 
ject?" 

"  It  is." 

"  You  say  you  have  no  pretensions." 

"  None,  Mr.  Kennedy ;  but  if  ever  I  am  near  Miss 
24 


278  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

Portington  again,  I  want  the  right  to  caution  her  against 
one  -who  would  make  her  the  victim  of  a  heartless  specu- 
lation." 

Undoubtedly  this  declaration  was  a  very  impudent 
one  ;  and  if  Mr.  Kennedy  had  not  before  made  up  his 
mind  to  hang  his  victim,  this  would  have  been  sufficient 
to  induce  him  to  carry  out  his  barbarous  threat.  Somers 
did  not  believe  that  his  captors,  in  the  face  of  public 
sentiment  and  the  recognized  laws  of  war,  would  have 
the  hardihood  to  perpetrate  such  an  atrocious  crime.  It 
must  be  confessed,  in  the  light  of  previous  and  subse- 
quent revelations,  that  he  failed  to  understand  and  appre- 
ciate the  diabolical  spirit  of  the  rebellion. 

Kennedy's  stock  of  patience  was  exhausted,  and  he 
could  no  longer  express  himself  in  the  assumed  tones  of 
politeness  which  he  had  before  labored  to  use.  He  was 
angry  and  morose  ;  and  the  dark  scowl  on  his  brow  was 
a  witness  of  the  darker  purpose  which  brooded  in  his  soul. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  you  beard  the  lion  in  his  den.  I  will 
w^aste  no  more  words  upon  you,"  replied  he,  furiously ; 
and  he  sent  the  servants  to  summon  certain  officers 
whom  he  named. 

"  I  think  it  my  duty  to  say  exactly  what  I  mean," 
replied  Somers. 

•  The  officers  who  had  been  sent  for  presently  appeared. 
The  number  included  Biggs  and  the  captain  of  the 
steamer,  neither  of  whom  was  competent  to  sit  on  a 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFTCEli.        279 

court-martial.  Two  naval  officers,  apparently  masters  or 
midshipmen,  completed  the  quorum,  and  tlie  trial  pro- 
ceeded at  once.  The  charges  were  written  out  in  due 
form,  and  there  was  an  appearance  of  fairness  used, 
though  the  whole  proceeding  was  simply  a  pretext  to 
sacrifice  the  life  of  the  prisoner.  Fifteen  minutes  com- 
pleted the  business  of  the  session  ;  and  Somers,  after  a 
consultation  of  fifteen  minutes  more,  was  sentenced  to  be 
hung  as  a  spy  forthwith. 

By  this  time  the  prisoner  had  come  to  a  painful  real- 
ization of  the  fiict  that  his  enemies  were  in  earnest.  He 
was  doomed  to  an  ignominious  death,  and  the  sentence 
was  to  be  immediately  executed.  He  was  taken  to  the 
main  deck  again  by  Wythe,  wdio  acted  as  master-at- 
arms.  Over  the  hatchway  a  cord  had  been  suspended 
from  a  deck  beam  above,  and  a  board  placed  over  the 
aperture,  on  which  the  culprit  was  to  stand. 

Somers  saw  these  preparations,  and  the  blood  seemed 
to  be  frozen  in  his  veins.  He  felt  that  he  was  about  to 
die  —  that  he  was  on  the  threshold  of  eternity.  It  was  a 
solemn  and  awful  thought,  though  he  had  often  contem- 
plated the  possibility,  and  even  the  probability,  on  the 
eve  of  battle,  of  passing  away  from  the  scenes  of  earth. 
But  now,  it  w^as  more  real  than  ever  before  ;  for  there, 
before  him,  was  the  rope,  and  there  the  drop  from  which 
he  was  to  be  ushered  into  the  world  beyond  the  grave. 
"  Are  you  all  ready,  Wythe?"  demanded  Kennedy. 


280  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  All  ready,  sir,"  replied  the  ma?ter-at-arms. 

"  Then  bring  forward  your  prirfouer." 

Somers  was  conducted  to  the  hatchway.  He  was  con- 
scious that  he  was  still  a  living  being  —  that  his  brain  was 
still  active  ;  but  his  body  seemed  to  be  detached  from  the 
thinking  and  feeling  part  of  him.  Everything  looked 
misty  and  confused  to  him. 

"  Adjust  the  rope,"  said  Kennedy,  mechanically,  for 
he  seemed  to  be  hardly  less  moved  than  his'victim. 

The  command  was  obeyed  ;  but  even  l\"ytlie's  hand 
trembled  as  he  placed  the  knot  under  the  ear  of  the 
prisoner.  Everything  contributed  to  assure  Somers  that 
the  rebels  were  in  earnest  —  that  it  was  no  farce  in  which 
they  were  engaged.  Even  his  executioner  trembled, 
which  would  not  have  been  the  case  if  he  had  been 
engaged  in  an  attempt  to  deceive  him.  There  was  no 
hope,  and  Somers  breathed  his  silent  prayer  to  God  in 
that  a^vful  hour  that  his  sins  might  be  forgiven  ;  that  the 
loved  ones  at  home  might  be  happy  Avhen  he  was  gone  ; 
and  that  his  death  might  not  be  in  vain,  but  be  an  accept- 
a|;)le  sacrifice  to  the  holy  cause  to  which  he  had  devoted 
himself. 

His  prayer  gave  him  hope  and  strength  ;  his  body  and 
his  brain  seemed  to  be  reunited  ;  and  he  looked  his  mur- 
derers full  in  the  face.  He  was  determined  to  die  like  a 
man  and  a  Christian,  and  to  permit  his  enemies  to  derive 
no  strength  from  his  -weakness. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        281 

"Are  you  ready,  Mr.  Somers?"  asked  Kennedy,  in 
tones  so  full  of  emotion  as  to  betray  his  terror  to  Lis 
companions. 

••'  I  am,"  replied  Somers,  calmly  and  gently  as  one 
who  can  almost  see  the  glories  of  the  invisible  world. 

"  Have  you  nothing  to  say?" 

"  Nothing." 

"  No  message  to  leave?" 

"  None  that  I  can  intrust  to  you.    You  would  defile  it." 

"  Proceed,  Wythe  !  "  said  Kennedy,  fiercely  ;  for  the 
words  of  the  victim  roused  anew  the  hatred  which  the 
solemn  event  had  for  the  momeflt  softened. 

Somers  was  led  out  upon  the  board  over  the  hatch- 
way, which  was  so  placed  that  it  could  be  easily  slipped, 
and  thus  precipitate  the  prisoner  into  the  hold. 

"  If  you  ever  say  prayers,  say  them  now,  for  you 
have  but  a  moment  left,"  said  Kennedy,  in  sneering 
tones. 

Somers  prayed  as  he  had  never  prayed  before,  for  God 
was  nearer  to  him,  and  he  was  speaking  in  the  presence 
of  the  Infinite. 

"  Again  I  ask  you,  Mr.  Somers,  if  you  have  anything 
to  say,  or  any  message  to  leave.  If  you  can  speak 
without  insulting  me,  I  assure  you  your  last  request 
shall  be  fulfilled,"  said  Kennedy,  again  mollified  by  the 
awful  circumstances  of  the  hour. 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Kennedy,  and  I  forgive  you  for 
24* 


282  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

the  murder  which  you  are  committing.  If  you  ever 
meet  any  friend  of  mine,  say  that  I  died  like  a  Chris- 
tain,"  replied  Somers. 

"  Do  you  still  adhere  to  your  determination  —  " 

As  Kennedy  reached  this  point  in  the  sentence,  a 
twenty-four  pound  shot  struck  in  the  upper  Avorks  of  the 
steamer,  making  teip-ible  havoc  among  boards  and  beams, 
and  sending  confusion  into  the  midst  of  the  group  that 
gathered  around  the  victim  of  the  intended  murder. 
The  cabin  floor  above  them  was  torn  away  for  the  space 
of  ten  feet,  and  the  wreck  dropped  down  upon  the  heads 
of  the  men,  who  were  completely  absorbed  in  the  barba- 
rous scene  w^hich  was  transpiring  there. 

The  first  shot  was  followed  by  a  second,  whose  effects 
were  hardly  less  destructive.  The  beam  to  which  the 
hangman's  cord  had  been  attached  was  shivered,  but  it 
still  hung  in  its  place,  and  Somers's  situation  was  not 
improved  by  the  event.  The  shots  produced  a  panic 
among  the  rebels,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  from  the 
prisoner  in  the  direction  from  which  the  shots  had  come. 
Right  over  the  bow  of  the  steamer  they  saw  two  of  the 
Rosalie's  boats,  each  of  which  had  a  howitzer  mounted 
in  the  fore-sheets. 

"  Give  way,  my  lads ! "  shouted  Mr,  Jackson,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  expedition.     "  Lay  'em  aboard  !  " 

The  cutters'  crews  bent  on  their  oars,  and  the  boats 
Struck  the  bow  of  the  rebel  craft  at  the  same  instant. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER,        283 

Tom  Long^tone  was  in  the  bow  of  one,  and  in  spite  of 
his  years,  he  leaped  on  the  deck  like  a  cat,  followed  hj 
the  boarding  party.  The  other  boat  poured  her  men 
upon  the  deck  at  the  same  instant. 

The  rebels,  who  had  been  so  intent  upon  the  barbarous 
spectacle  at  the  hatchway  that  they  had  neglected  to  keep 
a  lookout  on  the  bow  and  stern,  weije  completely  para- 
lyzed by  tlie  suddenness  of  the  onslaught.  As  the  crews 
of  the  boats  boarded  the  steamer  over  the  bow,  they  fled 
to  the  stern,  and  leaped  into  the  water,  or  made  their 
^vay  to  the  shore  as  best  they  could,  leaving  the  assailants 
in  complete  possession  of  the  steamer. 

The  attention  of  the  rebels  ha^  been  instantly  with- 
drawn from  Somers  when  the  first  shot  struck  the 
steamer.  They  had  not  a  thought  for  him  now  ;  and,  as 
the  men  from  the  boats  leaped  up,  they  fled  as  though 
the  avenging  angel  were  already  at  their  heels.  Their 
guilty  consciences  gave  wings  to  their  flight,  and  there 
was  no  chance  for  the  boarders  to  strike  a  single  blow. 

Tom  Longstone  was  the  first  man  to  put  his  feet  on 
the  deck  of  the  Viola.  As  he  rushed  forward,  he  dis- 
covered Somers,  still  standing  on  the  board  over  the 
hatchway.  He  recognized  him  at  a  glance,  and  saw  the 
rope  extending  from  his  neck  to  the  broken  beam  above. 
''  My  blessed  !  "  exclaimed  he,  in  trembling  tones,  as 
he  sprang  out  upon  the  board,  and  grasping  the  cord  in 
one  hand,  he  severed  it  with  his  cutlass. 


284  THE    TAXKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

Throwing  the  weapon  on  the  deck,  lie  placed  his 
brawny  arms  around  the  middy,  and  raising  him  as 
though  he  had  been  a  baby,  he  bore  him  over  the  bend- 
ing board  to  the  firm  planking  of  the  main  deck. 

"  My  blessed  boy !  "  exclaimed  he,  bursting  into  tears, 
as  he  pressed  him  to  his  beating  heart.  "  What  have 
they  been  doing  to  you  ?  " 

Tom  Longstone  stammered  out  the  words,  and  then 
sobbed  like  a  child.  He  was  completely  overcome,  and 
for  a  moment  he  gave  vent  to  emotions  which  were  too 
strong  for  utterance. 

"  Thank  you,  Tom,"  said  Somers,  in  a  gentle  tone, 
hardly  above  a  whispet* ;  and  the  tears  coursed  down  his 
6heeks  almost  as  freely  as  donni  the  weather-stained  face 
of  the  boatswain. 

The  officers  and  crew  stood  in  silence,  but  with  hearts 
swelling  with  emotion,  while  Tom  held  his  young  friend. 
There  was  no  enemy  for  them  to  strike,  and  they  were 
chained  to  the  spot  by  the  affecting  scene. 

"  The  —  the  —  infernal  —  villains  !  "  gasped  Tom, 
struggling  with  his  feelings,  which  would  hardly  permit 
him  to  utter  a  word. 

"  Be  calm,  Tom ;  I  am  safe  now,"  said  Somers,  in  the 
soft  tones  of  one  who  had  just  come  from  the  embrace  of 
death,  and  whose  soul  had  been  sanctified  by  his  com- 
munion with  his  God,  and  with  the  gi'eat  destroyer 
of  man. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        285 

*'Caliu?  Would  the  cutthroats  hang  you?"  roared 
Tom,  as  he  detached  himself  from  the  embrace  of  the 
middy,  and  seizing  his  cutlass,  brandished  it  with  a  des- 
peration which  fired  the  souls  of  the  crew. 

They  shouted  in  unison  with  him,  breathing  vengeance 
upon  the  wretches  who  had  meditated  so  heinous  a  crime. 
The  officers  came  forward  and  grasped  the  hand  of 
Somers.  They  congratulated  him  on  his  miraculous 
escape  ;  but  their  words  were  few,  for  their  mission  was 
not  yet  accomplished.  Mr.  Jackson  gave  his  orders  in 
a  spirited  tone,  and  the  men  dashed  on  shore  in  pur- 
suit of  the  flying  foe. 

A  few  of  them  w^ere  captured,  but  only  a  few,  for  the 
rebels  had  every  advantage  over  their  pursuers.  They 
knew  the  country,  and  they  had  a  choice  of  the  paths, 
which,  in  that  swampy  region,  was  equivalent  to  a  vic- 
tory. Unfortunately,  none  of  the  officers  were  taken.  It 
was  well  for  them  that  they  w^ere  not,  for  their  lives 
would  have  paid  the  penalty  of  their  barbarous  conduct, 
and  it  was  difficult  for  the  officers  to  prevent  the  men 
from  wreaking  their  vengeance  upon  the  few  who  did  fall 
into  their  hands. 

The  expedition,  which  had  thus  fortunately  saved  the 
life  of  Somers,  had  been  organized  as  soon  as  the  Viola 
turned  her  bow  up  the  sound.  It  had  gone  up  Tea-kettle 
Creek,  choosing  this  course  because  the  battery  hadjbeen 
planted   at  the    mouth   of   it,   apparently  to    defend    its- 


286  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

waters  from  an  approach  in  that  direction.  From  the 
creek  they  had  heard  the  noise  of  escaping  steam,  which 
guided  them  to  their  prey.  By  a  cut-off  they  had  reached 
Mud  River,  above  the  Viohi.  The  dense  fog  protected 
them  from  discovery,  and  as  soon  as  the  boats  came 
within  sight  of  the  steamer,  Mr.  Jackson  gave  the  order 
for  each  to  fire  a  single  shot,  and  then  board,  in  the  con- 
fusion which  a  couple  of  twenty-four  pound  balls  would 
be  likely  to  create. 

The  Viola  was  not  a  valuable  prize,  for  there  was 
little  on  board  of  her  except  the  two  howitzers  and  the 
ammunition.  Upon  examination  it  was  found  that  the 
second  shot  had  passed  through  one  of  her  wheels,  and 
twisted  it  so  that  it  could  not  be  made  to  turn.  Under 
these  circumstances  the  two  guns  were  transferred  to  the 
boats,  and  she  was  set  on  fire. 

At  meridian  the  boats  reached  the  Rosalie,  and  Mr. 
Somers  reported  himself  to  the  executive  officer. 


THE   ADVE^iTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        287 


CHAPTER    XXVI 


THE    REBEL    COTTON-CLAD. 


OMERS  was  received  on  board  the  Rosalie  as 
one  who  had  come  from  the  jaws  of  death.  He 
told  his  story,  which  was  listened  to  with  breath- 
less eagerness ;  for  the  perils  through  which  he  had 
passed  won  for  him  an  attentive  audience.  He  was 
highly  commended  for  his  fidelity  in  attempting  to  stop 
the  steamer,  and  in  obtaining  information  which  would 
be  valuable  to  the  loyal  cause. 

"  You  probably  saved  the  cotton  schooner  from  being 
recaptured,  Mr.  Somers,"  said  the  captain,  when  he 
had  finished  his  story ;  "if  you  had  not  dehiyed  the 
steamer,  the  Rosalie  would  not  have  been  near  the  prize." 

"  I  am  very  glad,  theu,  that  I  did  not  work  for  noth- 
ing," replied  Somers.  "  I  wanted  to  do  something,  and 
if  1  failed  it  was  not  because  I  did  not  try." 

"  You  have  done  exceedingly  well,  Mr.  Somers ;  and 
in  my  report  of  this  affair,  I  shall  take  pleasure  in  men- 
tioning your  name." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  added  Somers,  touching  his  cap. 


288  TUE    YANKEE   MILDY,    OR 

At  the  close  of  the  iDterview,  Somers  went  down  to 
the  steerage,  and  being  alone,  thought  over  the  events  of 
the  morning.  He  had  been  nearer  to  death's  embrace 
than  ever  before  ;  and,  from  the  depths  of  his  grateful 
heart,  he  poured  forth  his  thanksgiving  to  Him  who  had 
saved  his  life  in  that  trying  hour. 

He  could  not  help  feeling  that  he  had  done  something 
worth  telling  to  Kate,  and  he  wrote  quite  a  long  letter, 
detailing  the  events  we  have  narrated  ;  but  he  deemed  it 
best  to  suppress  the  name  of  Phil  Kennedy.  She  must 
some  time  know  that  he  was  little  better  than  a  fiend  — 
that  he  was  a  rebel  of  the  darkest  dye  ;  but  he  preferred 
that  some  other  person  than  himself  should  give  her  the 
information.  In  the  letter  he  confined  himself  strictly  to 
the  events  which  had  occurred  during  the  Rosalie's  stay 
at  Doboy  Sound,  and  hardly  introduced  a  personal  allusion. 

In  the  afternoon  the  fog  cleared  off,  and  the  Rosalie 
went  down  to  her  former  anchorage.  Thompson  was 
sent  up  to  Port  Royal  as  prize-master  of  the  captured 
schooner,  taking  with  him  the  prisoners  and  the  mail. 
For  a  M'eek  the  oflScers  and  crew  were  doomed  to  another 
quiet  time.  If  there  were  any  more  schooners  up  the 
sound,  as  the  counterfeit  contraband  had  declared,  they 
did  not  deem  it  safe  to  come  out ;  for  the  Rosalie  had 
proved  herself  to  be  a  faithful  sentinel  at  the  mouth  of 
the  inlet. 

Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  had  not  yet  done  "  a  big  thing"  for 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        289 

llie  Southern  Confederacy  in  helping  along  the  cotton 
loan  ;  nor  had  he  yet  secured  a  suitable  vessel  in  which  to 
make  a  cruise  at  sea.  This  seemed  to  be  a  favorite  aspi- 
ration with  him,  and  Somers  had  already  reported  to  the 
captain  his  intention  to  capture  the  Rosalie,  and  make 
her  the  bearer  of  his  fortunes  on  the  broad  ocean. 

Shortly  after  the  departure  of  Thompson  in  the  cotton 
schooner,  a  supply  steamer  came  on  the  station,  and  with 
other  good  things,  left  a  mail  and  a  quantity  of  news- 
papers. Somers  had  several  letters  from  home ;  and 
while  he  was  below,  reading  the  news  from  Pinchbrook, 
which  included  the  promotion  and  furlough  of  his  brother 
Tom,  the  captain  sent  for  him. 

"  Mr.  Somers,  the  mystery  is  solved,"  said  Captain 
Waldron. 

''What  mystery,  sir?"  asked  Somers,  somewhat  sur- 
prised at  the  announcement. 

"In  regard  to  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy.  The  newspapers 
give  us  full  particulars.  It  seems  that  General  Porting- 
ton  died  of  the  illness  we  heard  of,  and  Kennedy  was 
paroled  to  allow  him  to  attend  the  funeral  of  liis  foster- 
father.  He  did  attend  it,  but  instead  of  returning  to 
New  York,  he  went  south." 

"  He  is  bad  enough  to  do  that,  though  he  pretends  to 
be  a  gentleman,  and  to  value  his  honor  as  the  apple  of 
his  eye,"  added  Somers.     "  But  it  is  rather  singular  that 
he  should  turn  up  just  where  v.e  happen  to  be." 
25 


290  THE    YASKLE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  Not  very  singular.  The  sending  of  a  bloekadcr  here 
created  the  necessity  for  some  action  on  the  part  of  the 
rebels,  and  Kennedy,  happening  to  report  about  the  time 
we  came,  was  sent  here  ;  but  he  hasn't  done  them  much 
good,"  laughed  the  captain. 

"He  means  to  capture  this  vessel.  Perhaps  that  is 
Avhat  he  is  down  here  for." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  ;  but  if  he  keeps  on  as  he  has  begun, 
he  will  not  get  her  very  soon.  He  has  lost  two  vessels 
now,  instead  of  capturing  one." 

"  I  think  he  intends  to  make  the  attempt." 

"  I  hope  he  will ;  and  the  sooner  the  better,"  replied 
the  captain,  confidently. 

"  Did  you  see  anything  in  the  papers  about  General 
Portiugton's  will,  sir  ?  " 

''  Not  a  word  ;  but  I  presume  Kennedy  has  been  neg- 
lected ;  for  if  half  the  fortune  had  been  left  to  him,  he 
would  hardly  have  gone  south  —  at  least  not  before  he 
had  come  into  possession  of  his  inheritance.** 

Somers  returned  to  the  mess-room  to  finish  the  read- 
ing of  his  letters,  and  to  muse  upon  what  the  captain  had 
told  him.  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  certainly  did  not  improve 
on  further  acquaintance  ;  and,  for  his  own  part,  he  desired 
nothinn^  better  than  to  forget  him.  Events  were  not  cal- 
culated to  enable  him  to  do  this  ;  for  that  very  night,  our 
middy  and  the  only  personal  enemy  he  had  in  the  world 
were  doomed  to  meet  again,  face  to  face,  on  the  deck  of 
the  Rosalie. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         2'Jl 

It  was  early  in  the  evening ;  eight  bells  had  just 
struck,  and  the  first  watch  piped  on  deck,  wlieu  the  look- 
out reported  a  steamer,  apparently  loaded  with  cotton, 
approaching  the  schooner.  She  Avas  at  least  double  the 
size  of  the  Viola,  which  had  been  burned,  and  as  she 
was  a  river  steamer,  it  could  not  be  supposed  that  she 
intended  to  go  to  sea. 

The  Rosalie  immediately  beat  to  quarters,  and  the 
captain  leaped  into  the  fore-rigging  to  examine  the  ap- 
proaching monster ;  for  such  she  was,  with  the  cotton 
bales  piled  up  to  her  hurricane  deck.  There  were  no 
guns  to  be  seen,  nor  any  men,  for  that  matter,  as  even 
the  wheel-house  was  encased  in  bales  of  cotton. 

Captain  Waldron  looked  very  anxious  when  he  came 
down  from  the  fore-rigging,  for  the  steamer  was  no 
blockade-runner,  and  the  sad  experience  of  our  vessels 
in  Galveston  Bay  was  a  sufficient  warning  to  him, 
as  well  as  an  explanation  of  the  character  of  the 
approaching  steamer. 

"  She  is  a  cotton-clad,"  said  he  to  the  first  lieutenant. 
*'  She  has  come  down  to  capture  our  vessel." 

"  So  I  perceive,"  replied  Mr.  Layard. 

"Open  upon  her  with  the  rifled  gun,"  added  the 
captain.  "  Aim  low,  and  knock  a  hole  in  her  hull  if 
you  can." 

The  fire  was  instantly  opened  from  the  pivot  gun  amid- 
ships ;  but  the  present  contingency  seemed  to  have  been 


202  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

provided  for  by  the  rebels,  for  the  shot  appeared  to  have 
no  serious  effect  upon  her.  The  cotton  monster  con- 
tinued on  her  course  apparently  unharmed,  headed  di- 
rectly towards  the  Rosalie.  There  were  still  no  signs  of 
any  guns. 

"  Your  friend,  Phil  Kennedy,  has  come  at  last,"  said 
the  captain,  as  Somers  passed  him  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  suppose  he  is  on  board  that  craft,"  re- 
plied Somers. 

The  captain  watched  the  cotton-clad  with  an  anxiety 
which  he  could  not  wholly  conceal,  especially  after  the 
pivot  gun  had  been  discharged  several  times  without 
arresting  her  course.  There  was  hardly  a  breath  of  wind, 
or  he  would  have  slipped  his  moorings,  which  would 
have  enabled  him  to  make  choice  of  his  own  position, 
even  if  he  could  not  run  away  from  the  dangerous  craft. 
The  Rosalie  had  kept  a  spring  on  her  cable,  while  at 
anchor,  to  enable  her  to  swing  round,  if  necessary,  so  as 
to  bring  her  broadside  guns  to  bear  on  any  passing  vessel. 

By  the  aid  of  this  device,  she  was  able  to  work  two 
broadside  guns  as  well  as  the  pivot.  But  all  her  efforts 
w^ith  shot  and  shell  were  failures,  and  the  monster  was 
within  speaking  distance  of  the  Rosalie,  now  apparently 
doomed  to  certain  capture.  The  cotton-clad  came  up, 
bow  on,  and  stopped  her  wheels  at  the  distance  of  thirty 
or  forty  fathoms  from  her  intended  victim.     If  she  was 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER,        293 

provided  witli  guns,  the  present  was  the  time  to  use  them  ; 
but  she  was  still  as  silent  as  though  she  were  on  a  peace- 
ful errand. 

"  Pipe  below,  Mr.  Layard !  "  said  the  captain,  sud- 
denly.    "  All  hands  below  !  " 

This  remarkable  order  was  promptly  executed,  and 
even  the  officers  were  ordered  down  upon  the  berth  deck. 

"  There  is  only  one  way  to  fight  that  fellow,"  said 
Captain  Waldron* 

A  volley  of  least  a  hundred  muskets  presently  ex- 
plained the  wisdom  of  the  captain's  order,  and  proved 
that  he  had  rightly  comprehended  the  tactics  of  the 
enemy.  The  balls  were  heard  rattling  on  the  deck  above, 
but  not  a  man  was  injured.  The  captain's  precaution 
had  saved  a  fearful  havoc  among  his  officers  and  men. 
The  volley  was  repeated  several  times,  but  there  was 
not  a  soul  on  the  deck  of  the  Rosalie  to  be  injured  by 
the  fire. 

By  this  time  the  rebels  probably  concluded  that  they 
had  killed  half  the  crew  of  the  schooner,  and  her' wheels 
were  started  again. 

"  Stand  by  your  cutlasses,  my  lads,"  said  the  captain. 
"  They  are  going  to  board  us." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir  !  "   responded  the  ready  tars. 

The  cotton-clad  came  up  with  her  head  on  the  port 
bow  of  thQ  Rosalie.  No  doubt  the  rebels  were  surprised, 
when  they  came  near  enough  to  overlook  the  deck,  to  fiud 
25* 


294  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

it  deserted.  Probably  they  were  filled  with  exultation 
when  they  realized  the  fact,  for  they  began  to  pour  in  like 
bees  over  the  bow  of  the  schooner. 

"  Repel  boarders  !  "  shouted  the  captain  ;  and  all  hands 
sprang  to  the  deck,  and  rushed  upon  the  over-confident 
assailants. 

*'  Down  with  them,"  shouted  Somers,  always  among 
the  foremost  in  such  a  scene. 

No  formidable  resistance  had  been  expected  by  the 
rebels,  and  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy  was  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  boarding  party.  Somers  saw  him,  and  rushed  at  him 
with  his  cutlass.  Kennedy  discharged  a  pistol  at  him,  but 
it  failed,  and  he  stood  his  ground  with  the  sword  for  a 
moment,  when,  finding  his  impetuous  foe  was  too  much 
for  him,  he  retreated.  His  example  was  followed  by  the 
rest  of  the  rebels,  though  most  of  them  had  fought  with 
skill  and  energy. 

"  Lay  'em  aboard  !  "  shouted  the  intrepid  Mr.  Lay- 
ard,  as  he  pressed  the  retreating  rebels  on  board  the 
cotton-clad. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  roared  the  excited  seamen,  as  they 
followed  close  upon  tlie  heels  of  their  brave  lieutenant. 

But  the  rebels  had  all  retired  from  the  deck  of  the 
Rosalie,  and  the  riflemen  behind  the  cotton  bales  poured 
a  volley  into  the  daring  sailors  who  were  driving  the 
boarders  back.  Mr.  Layard  fell,  and  the  captain  ordered 
the  men  back.     They  obeyed,  bearing  the  wounded  oflicer 


Ou  the  Deck  of  the  Kosahe.     I'aj,'e  21)4, 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        295 

with  them.  He  was  conveyed  to  his  state-room,  and 
breathed  his  last  before  the  surgeon  could  find  his  wound. 

The  plan  of  the  rebels  was  evidently  a  safe  one,  for 
they  intended  to  remain  behind  their  cotton  bales,  and 
shoot  down  every  man  who  showed  himself  above  the 
deck.  Already  half  a  dozen  of  the  Rosalie's  crew  were 
killed  or  wounded.  They  had  retired  to  the  berth 
deck  again,  and  the  rebels  had  learned  by  experience 
that  it  was  not  prudent  to  board  her.  Behind  the  cot- 
ton, where  no  harm  could  reach  them,  they  continued  to 
fire  into  the  hatch  of  the  schooner  ;  but  the  men  had  been 
so  placed  that  no  more  of  them  suffered  from  the  fire. 

The  cotton-clad  still  hugged  the  Rosalie,  turning  her 
wheels  just  enough  to  keep  her  in  position.  It  looked 
like  a  "  dead  lock,"  and  each  party  was  impatiently 
waiting  for  the  other  to  make  the  next  move.  If  the 
schooner's  people  would  only  appear  on  deck,  the  rebels 
could  shoot  them  down  without  exposing  themselves  to 
harm.  If  the  steamer's  people  would  only  board,  the 
brave  tars  of  the  Rosalie  felt  able  to  whip  them,  in  what- 
ever numbers  they  might  appear,  for  then  the  riflemen 
could  not  fire  without  killing  their  own  men. 

The  cotton-clad  had  at  least  double  the  number  of  men 
belonging  to  the  !^osalie  ;  and  Kennedy,  who  command- 
ed her,  perhaps  ashamed  of  his  own  timidity,  ordered 
another  assault.  The  boarding  party  was  permitted  to 
advance  as  far  as  the  main  hatch,  when  a  dozen  men 


296  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

rushed  up  the  compauion-way  from  the  ward-room,  and 
discharged  the  two  swivels,  which  had  been  loaded  with 
grape  during  the  first  onslaught. 

The  remainder  of  the  men  followed,  and  with  stunning 
cheers  rushed  on  the  rebels,  who  had  been  terribly  cut 
up  by  the  grape  from  the  swivels.  They  broke  and  fled 
to  the  shelter  of  the  cotton  bales  again,  wliile  the  captain 
instantly  ordered  his  crew  below,  beA  rs  auotJier  volley 
from  the  riflemen  should  be  delivered. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        297 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

AN   ENTERPRISE    WHICH    ENDS    IN    AN   EXPLOSION. 


C 


'he  situation  of  the  Rosalie,  if  not  absolutely 
alarming,  was  calculated  to  excite  a  reasonable 
doubt  in  the  minds  of  her  officers  in  regard  to 
the  final  result.  It  was  in  the  highest  degree  galling  to 
a  man  of  Captain  Waldron's  temperament  to  be  driven 
below,  and  be  held  in  abeyance  there,  by  his  powerful 
enemy  ;  but  the  safety  of  his  officers  and  crew,  and  conse- 
quently of  his  vessel,  depended  on  his  prudence  as  well 
as  his  bravery. 

For  two  hours  the  two  vessels  remained  in  the  same 
relative  positions,  each  waiting  for  the  other  to  make  the 
next  move.  In  the  mean  time  a  breeze,  from  the  south- 
east had  sprung  up  ;  but  the  Rosalie's  crew,  confined  be- 
low, were  unable  to  take  advantage  of  it.  If  Captain 
Waldron  was  impatient  under  the  perilous  circumstances 
which  surrounded  him,  the  enemy  were  even  more  so  ; 
for  they  had  come  down  the  bay  with  the  confident  assur- 
ance of  a  speedy  victory.  Behind  the  cotton  bales  they 
could  shoot  down  evej:y  man  who  offered  any  resistance, 


298.  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

and  in  a  short  time  compel  the  vessel  to  surrender.  If 
Captain  Waldron  had  insisted  on  fighting  his  ship  accord- 
ing to  the  traditions  of  the  navy,  Mr.  Phil  Kennedy's 
calculations  would  have  been  correct,  and  he  might 
have  gone  to  sea  in  the  Rosalie  without  any  provoking 
delay. 

Two  hours  were  a  long  time  to  wait  in  the  presence  of 
death  or  capture  ;  and  when  Captain  Waldron  heard  the 
fresh  breeze  piping  merrily  through  the  rigging  of  his 
vessel,  he  chafed  still  more  under  the  restraint  which 
prudence  imposed  upon  him ;  but  there  appeared  to  be 
no  hope- of  immediate  relief,  unless  the  wind  increased  to 
a  gale,  and  thus  rendered  the  unwieldy  cotton-clad  un- 
manageable. It  was  quite  certain  that  the  wind  was 
increasing  in  force,  but  it  might  be  hours  before  it 
amounted  to  a  gale. 

The  wind,  though  it  did  not  blow  hard  enough  to 
endanger  the  cotton-clad,  now  produced  a  change  in  the 
position  of  the  vessels.  The  monster  lying  athwart  the 
channel  was  no  longer  able  to  keep  her  head  up  to  the 
bow  of  the  Rosahe,  for  the  vast  pile  of  cotton  exposed 
an  immense  surface  to  be  acted  upon  by  the  freshening 
breeze,  and  she  was  compelled  to  retire  for  a  time,  in 
order  to  bring  her  bows  up  to  the  wind.  Her  movement 
was  instantly  perceived  on  board  the  Rosalie. 
^''  Pipe  all  hands  on  deck,  Mr.  Jackson,"  said  the  cap- 
tain,  promptly,  when  the    cotton-clad   had   retreated   a 


THE  AD-i^NTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         299 

short  distauce.  "  Slip  the  cable,  and  make  sail  in- 
stantly." 

The  acting  first  lieutenant  obeyed  the  order ;  and  the 
ofRcers  and  crew,  animated  by  a  new  hope,  performed 
their  duty  with  even  more  than  usual  alacrity.  Before 
the  steamer  could  assume  her  intended  position,  the  Ro- 
salie, close-hauled,  was  standing  across  the  sound.  The 
crew  were  beat  to  quarters,  and  she  opened  on  the  enemy 
again  with  everything  that  could  be  brought  to  bear,  yet 
without  any  visible  effect  upon  her  mailed  opponent. 

"  Ready,  about ! "  shouted  the  first  lieutenant,  when 
she  had  gone  as  far  as  it  was  safe  to  go  on  the  "  short 
leg  "  of  the  tack. 

Round  came  the  schooner ;  but  pressing  forward  with 
all  her  speed,  the  steamer  immediately  intercepted  her, 
and  poured  a  murderous  volley  upon  her  decks.  Among 
those  who  fell  was  Mr.  Brown,  the  sailing-master,  now 
acting  as  third  lieutenant.  He  was  borne  to  his  cabin, 
and  the  Rosalie  sped  on  her  way,  out  of  gun-shot  reach 
of  the  steamer.  But  on  the  long  tack  she  ran  a  few 
fathoms  too  far,  and,  as  if  to  crown  the  misfortunes  of 
the  night,  she  struck  on  the  Chimney  Spit,  and  was  hard 
and  fast  aground. 

This  unhappy  event  promised  to  be  fatal  to  the  poor 
Rosalie,  and  the  men  looked  aghast  at  each  other.  But 
the  captain  did  not  lose  his  presence  of  mind.  The 
cotton-clad  was  standing  on  her  course  down  the  bay  to 


300  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

intercept  the  schooner  as  she  came  up  on  the  long  tack. 
The  useless  sails  were  now  furled,  and  nothing  but  the 
steadiness  of  the  officers  saved  the  men  from  despond- 
ency. As  long  as  the  leaders  are  firm,  and  have  a  voice, 
the  seamen  will  never  give  up  the  ship. 

The  captain  and  his  remaining  officers  could  not  con- 
ceal from  themselves,  if  they  could  from  the  men,  the 
fact  that  the  situation  of  the  ship  was  utterly  desperate. 
Mr.  Layard  was  dead,  Mr.  Brown  was  severely  wound- 
ed, and  ten  of  the  crew  had  been  killed  or  disabled. 
The  cotton-clad  would  soon  be  down  upon  the  disabled 
schooner,  and  her  capture,  so  far  as  human  wisdom 
could  discern  the  future,  was  only  a  question  of  a  few- 
hours,  more  or  less. 

Under  these  desperate  circumstances,  therefore,  the 
captain  summoned  a  council  of  the  officers.  They  met 
in  hurried  conference  on  the  quarter-deck ;  but  as  fate 
seemed  already  to  have  fastened  its  seal  on  the  ship, 
there  was  little  that  could  be  said.  Mr.  Jackson  pro- 
posed to  board  the  steamer,  as  a  last  resort ;  Mr.  Greene 
was  in  favor  of  taking  shelter  below,  and  repelling  any 
attack,  hoping  for  a  change  in  the  circumstances. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Mr.  Somers  ?  '*  said  the  captain 
to  our  middy,  who  was  now,  by  virtue  of  his  rank,  the 
acting  third  lieutenant. 

"  If  you  will  give  me  two  men  and  six  kegs  of  pow- 
der, I  will  make  an  attempt  to  disable  the  steamer," 


THE    AD  VESTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.  301 

replied  Somers,  who  proceeded,  without  waiting  to  hear 
the  comments  of  the  officers,  to  detail  the  plan  he  had 
conceived. 

Although  the  scheme  did  not  look  like  a  very  hopeful 
one,  the  zeal  and  determination  of  the  young  officer  did 
much  to  recommend  it.  He  was  familiar  with  the  con- 
struction of  these  river  steamers,  and  had  had  some  ex- 
perience with  cotton-clads  on  the  Suwanee  River.  As 
a  desperate  venture  it  was  adopted,  and  Somers  was 
ordered  to  select  his  companions  for  the  perilous  en- 
terprise. 

"  Tom  Longstone  and  the  gunner's  mate,"  he  promptly 
replied.  "  I  wnll  take  the  dingy,  and  I  recommend  that 
the  first  and  second  cutters  be  in  readiness  for  immediate 
service." 

"  With  howitzers?  "  asked  Mr.  Jackson. 

*'  No,  sir  ;  the  men  wdll  need  only  their  pistols,  pikes, 
and  cutlasses." 

"  Don't  be  rash,  Mr.  Somers,"  added  the  captain.  "  I 
would  not  tolerate  the  enterprise  if  our  situation  were 
only  a  little  less  desperate." 

"  I  will  be  prudent,  sir ;  but  I  assure  you,  I  had 
rather  be  blown  up  at  the  post  of  duty,  than  be  hung  by 
the  fiend  who  commands  that  steamer,  for  that  will  be 
my  fate  if  we  are  captured." 

"  God  be  with  you,  Mr.  Somers ! "  ejaculated  the 
captain,  fervently.  "  Remember  that  we  have  the  boats 
26 


302  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    Oli 

left,  and  can  run  for  the  shore  if  the  worst  comes ;  so 
don't  be  rash." 

By  this  time  the  gunner's  mate  had  the  powder  for  the 
enterprise  on  deck,  and  it  was  hurriedly  transferred  to 
the  dingy,  which  Tom  Longstonc  had  hauled  up  to  the 
gangway.  It  was  not  yet  time  to  put  tlie  plan  into  exe- 
cution ;  and,  as  the  cotton-clad  was  now  approaching, 
having  suspected  the  cause  of  the  schooner's  detention, 
all  the  crew  were  sent  below,  to  escape  the  deadly  fire  of 
her  riflemen.  She  drew  but  little  water,  compared  with 
the  Rosalie,  and  she  swept  round  upon  the  spit,  so  as  to 
bring  her  head  to  the  wind,  placing  herself  directly  to 
leeward  of  her  intended  prize.  Her  bow  overlapped 
that  of  the  schooner,  so  that  her  men,  concealed  among 
the  cotton  bales,  could  fire  down  upon  the  deck  of  the 
Rosalie. 

This  time  she  carried  her  audacity  a  point  farther,  and 
made  fast  to  the  fore-chains  of  the  schooner.  It  was 
quite  dark,  and  nothing  but  the  motions  of  the  devoted 
tars  could  betray  their  presence  to  the  enemy.  Mr. 
Jackson  stood  in  the  shadow  of  the  mainmast,  while  the 
captain  was  concealed  behind  the  companion-hatch,  on 
the  quarter-deck,  in  readiness  to  summon  the  men  when 
they  should  be  needed  to  repel  an  attack. 

Somers,  with  the  acting  boatswain  and  gunner,  was  iu 
the  dingy,  waiting  for  the  favorable  moment  to  commence 
his  desperate  enterprise.     The  gunner  was  preparing  the 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAV-iL    OFFICER.        303 

kegs  of  powder  for  use,  agreeably  to  the  directions  of 
the  officer. 

"  Well,  my  darling,  are  you  going  to  send  us  all  to 
heaven  to-night  ?  "  asked  Tom  Lougstone,  in  a  whisper, 
as  he  glanced  at  the  ominous  powder  kegs. 

"  I  am  going  to  do  my  duty  to  God  and  my  country ; 
and  I  cannot  answer  for  the  result  to  ourselves  indi- 
vidually," replied  Somers,   cheerfully. 

"  Go  ahead,  my  dear  !  I'm  with  you,  ready  to  go  up 
or  down,  which  ever  way  the  powder  may  send  us." 

*'  You  and  I  have  been  en2ra"red  in  an  affair  like  this 

o    o 

before,  Tom." 

*'  Yes,  and  you  were  shot  in  the  leg,  and  lefl  on 
shore." 

"  I  intend  to  do  better  this  time." 

"  I  hope  you  will,  my  love.  If  you  go  up,  I  hope  I 
shall  go  up  with  you." 

"  I  hope  none  of  us  will  go  up.  Now  work  the  dingy 
along  the  side  of  the  ship,  but  don't  make  a  particle  of 
noise." 

The  eyes  of  the  rebels  were  too  intently  fixed  on  the 
deck  of  the  Rosalie  to  see  anything  that  transpired  in 
the  water.  The  dingy  was  concealed  by  the  vessel  from 
their  sight  till  it  passed  the  cutwater ;  and  then  the 
enemy  were  too  far  behind  their  breastwork  to  obtain  a 
sight  of  it,  even  if  they  had  been  on  the  watch. 

Tom  Longstone,  guided  by  Somers's  directions,  shoved 


304  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

the  little  boat  under  the  guard  of  the  steamer,  and 
continued  to  Avork  it  along  by  her  side  till  he  reached  a 
point  on  the  opposite  quarter,  where  the  young  officer 
began  to  search  lor  a  favorable  place  to  operate.  The 
rebels  were  all  over  on  the  side  next  to  the  Rosalie,  not 
expecting  any  danger  from  the  opposite  direction.  They 
were  straining  their  eyes  to  sfte  a  man,  and  their  ears  to 
hear  a  sound,  which  would  enable  them  to  reduce  the 
number  of  their  foes  by  even  a  single  one. 

The  cotton  on  the  steamer  was  piled  up  to  a  level  with 
the  hurricane  deck.  The  riflemen  were  on  the  top,  and 
fired  over  the  breastwork.  The  dingy  had  to  go  forward 
of  the  wheels  before  any  aperture  could  be  found  which 
would  admit  the  six  kegs  of  powder.  Just  forward  of 
the  paddle-box,  a  space  about  eighteen  inches  in  width 
had  been  left,  so  that  any  water  which  the  steamer  might 
take  on  board  would  run  off. 

Through  this  hole  Somers  could  see  the  engineers,  and 
others  connected  with  the  boat ;  but  they  were  busily  en- 
gaged in  watching  the  progress  of  events  on  the  other 
side.  The  gunner  then  placed  his  powder  so  that  the 
whole  mass  should  explode  at  once,  and  he  managed  his 
part  of  the  work  so  carefully  that  no  hint  of  his  move- 
ments was  given  to  the  enemy. 

"Are  you  all  ready,  sir?"  asked  the  gunner,  in  a 
whisper,  when  he  had  completed  his  arrangements. 

"  All  ready,"  replied  Somers. 


TRE  ADVENTURES    OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER.        305 

"  Hand  me  the  match-paper,  Longstone,"  added  the 
gunner,  whose  husky  tones  indicated  his  consciousness  of 
the  peril  to  which  he  exposed  himself.  "  Shove  off!" 
added  he,  as  he  placed  the  burning  match  where,  in  a 
moment,  it  would  fire  the  mass  of  powder. 

Tom  Longstone  grasped  the  side  of  the  steamer,  and 
handed  the  dingy  along  the  guard,  assisted  by  Somers, 
till  it  shot  past  the  stern.  The  two  men  then  grasped 
the  oars,  and  rowed  with  all  their  might  to  reach  a  safe 
position. 

They  had  pulled  but  a  few  strokes  before  the  explosion 
took  place,  which  seemed  to  shake  the  very  waters  be- 
neath them,  apparently  rending  the  cotton-clad  into  a 
thousand  pieces. 

2«* 


306  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE    LAST    OF    PHIL    KENNEDY. 

/  ^Ito'HAT  takes  her  off  the  hinges  !  "  exclaimed  Tom 
/  I  Longstone,  coolly,  while  the  fragments  of  the 
VJJy    wreck  were  falling  around  the  boat. 

"  Ay,  ay  !  That  give  it  to  her  good  !  "  added  the  gun- 
ner. "  I'd  give  a  sixpence  to  know  what  them  rebels 
are  thinking  about  jest  now.'* 

"  I  dare  say  they  are  rather  confused  in  their  minds," 
said  Somers.  "  But,  give  w^ay,  my  men  !  I  hope  we 
haven't  blown  up  the  Rosalie." 

"  I  cal'late  we  have  shook  her  up  some,"  replied  the 
gunner,  who  was  proud  of  the  work  of  his  hands. 

The  veterans  pulled  for  the  Rosalie,  and  Somers  -^c uld 
not  conquer  his  fears  in  regard  to  her.  As  yet  he  could 
not  fathom  the  extent  of  the  mischief  caused  by  the 
explosion.  He  had,  by  the  flash  of  the  burning  powder, 
seen  the  mass  of  cotton  bales  lifted  up,  or  precipitated 
into  the  water.  The  steamer  now  appeared  to  be  on 
fire,  though  the  flames  had  as  yet  made  but  little 
progress. 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A   NAVAL    OFFICER,        307 

The  dingy  dashed  up  to  the  accommodation  ladder  of 
the  Rosalie.  The  gallant  little  craft  seemed  to  be  un- 
injured by  the  explosion,  and  Somers  leaped  on  her 
deck,  anxious  to  take  part  in  any  proceedings  that 
might  follow. 

'*  I  have  to  report  myself,"  said  he  to  the  first  lieu- 
tenant, as  he  touched  his  cap,  for  no  circumstances  could 
make  him  forget  the  discipline  of  the  navy. 

"  You  have  already  reported,  Mr.  Somers,"  replied 
Mr.  Jackson,  grasping  his  hand,  hurriedly.  "  We  have 
all  heard  you." 

"  Is  the  Rosalie  damaged,  sir?  " 

"  I  think  you  have  smashed  all  the  dishes  in  the 
pantry.  I  don't  know  that  any  other  damage  has  been 
done." 

"  Bravo,  Mr.  Somers  ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  seiz- 
ing the  hand  of  our  middy.  "  You  have  done  it ! 
Are  you  hurt?" 

"  No,  sir  —  haven't  a  scratch." 

"  Thank  God  for  that !  "  replied  the  captain.  "  But 
we  have  no  time  to  spare.  Does  she  surrender,  Mr. 
Greene  ?  "  he  shouted  to  the  second  lieutenant,  who  was 
forward. 

"  No,  sir  ;  she  has  just  fired  several  shots  into  us." 

"Open  upon  her,  Mr.  Jackson.  Strike  while  the 
iron  is  hot !  Boatswain,  see  how  much  water  we  have 
forward ! " 


808  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OB 

The  report  of  the  pivot  gun  followed  the  captain's 
order,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  minor  roar  of  the  two 
twenty-four  pounders  on  the  broadside,  and  the  swivels 
aft.  The  forecastle  was  so  lumbered  up  with  cotton  bales 
from  the  wreck,  that  the  forecastle  gim  could  not  be  used. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  fires  on  board  of  the  steamer  had 
been  gathering  way,  and  the  Rosalie  was  in  imminent  dan- 
ger of  being  destroyed  in  the  conflagration  which  must 
Boon  envelop  her  assailant.  The  firing  was  suspended 
in  ten  minutes,  to  learn  the  intentions  of  the  rebels. 

"  Do  you  surrender?"  demanded  JMr.  Greene,  whose 
station  was  forward. 

"  Never ! "  shouted  the  well-known  voice  of  Phil 
Kennedy ;  and  as  he  uttered  the  word,  several  muskets 
were  discharged. 

Mr.  Greene  reported  the  result,  and  at  the  same  time 
suggested  that  it  would  be  best  to  board  the  steamer. 
Captain  Waldron  examined  the  situation,  and  concurring 
with  the  advice,  ordered  Mr.  Jackson  to  lead  the  attack. 
Somers  grasped  his  cutlass,  and  made  sure  that  his 
pistol  was  in  good  condition. 

"  Lay  'em  aboard,  my  lads  ! "  cried  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ! "  shouted  the  ready  tars,  adding  a 
rousing  cheer  to  emphasize  their  willingness. 

"  You  are  not  going  without  me,  my  blessed  little 
officer,"  said  Tom  Longstone,  as  he  put  himself  along- 
side our  middy. 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.       309 

lie  had  just  reported  the  depth  of  water  forward. 
The  tide  was  rising,  and  in  a  short  time  the  Rosalie 
would  be  afloat,  if  she  was  not  doomed  to  burn  with  the 
steamer.  He  had  carried  an  anchor  out  to  windward  to 
warp  her  off  when  she  floated,  and  to  prevent  her  from 
driving  on  any  farther. 

The  boarding  party,  headed  by  the  first  lieutenant, 
with  Somers  hardly  a  pace  behind  him,  rushed  over 
the  pi>es  of  cotton,  and  leaped  upon  the  shattered 
deck  of  the  steamer.  As  they  advanced,  a  dozen  shots 
were  fired  from  the  riflemen,  and  a  couple  of  their 
number  fell  ;  but  heedless  of  everything  but  victory, 
they  pressed  forward  to  the  deadly  conflict. 

Most  of  the  rebels  were  engaged  in  an  attempt  to 
keep  down  the  flames,  which  threatened  them  in  the 
rear ;  but  at  the  call  of  Kennedy,  they  abandoned  this 
occupation,  and  sprang  to  their  arms.  The  Rosalie's 
intrepid  blue-jackets  were  fully  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  their  gallant  leader,  and  they  poured  over  the  cotton 
bales  so  impetuously  that  nothing  could  resist  them. 

"  Down  with  them !  "  shouted  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  roared  the  sailors,  with  a  will,  as  they 
plunged  into  the  midst  of  the  rebels. 

A  desperate  hand-to-hand  fight  ensued,  with  varying 
results  for  a  time,  for  the  rebels  still  outnumbered  the 
Rosalie's  people.  Kennedy,  evidently  conscious  that  the 
crisis  had  come,  and  that  his  own  fortunes  were  now 


310  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR    » 

to  be  decided,  fought  with  a  zeal  and  energy  "which  he 
had  not  before  displayed.  His  own  salvation,  rather 
than  that  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  was  involved  in 
the  conflict,  and  he  fought  as  a  drowning  man  clings  to 
a  straw.  If  he  failed,  his  credit  as  an  officer,  waning 
before,  would  be  utterly  lost. 

"  Show  me  the  beggar  that  wanted  to  hang  you,  my 
dear,"  said  Tom  Longstone,  when  he  had  cleared  a 
spot  around  him  with  his  cutlass. 

"Fight  for  your  country,  Tom  —  not  for  revenge,"  re- 
plied Somers,  as  he  rushed  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight. 

"  Show  me  the  beggar,  and  I  will  do  my  country  all 
the  good  I  can." 

But  Somers  was  gone.  He  was  some  distance  in 
advance  of  his  party,  for  the  stalwart  arm  of  Tom 
Longstone,  added  to  his  o^^ti,  had  forced  back  the  rebels 
near  the  place  where  they  stood.  In  this  exposed 
position  he  was  seen  by  Phil  Kennedy,  whose  soul 
was  still  rankling  with  evil  passions,  and  whose  re- 
venge was  still  unsated.  He  crowded  through  his 
men,  and  rushed  upon  Somers  with  a  fury  which 
promised  instant  destruction  to  his  enemy. 

"  Now  we  will  settle  the  old  score,"  gasped  he,  as  he 
brought  down  his  cutlass  in  the  direction  of  Somers's 
head. 

The  blow  fell  ringing  on  the  blade  of  the  middy,  who, 
with  a  sudden  spring,  passed  his  weapon  through  th^ 


THE   ADVEXTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        311 

body  of  Ills  revengeful  enemy.  lie  fell,  and  Somers 
pressed  forward,  with  Tom  at  his  side,  to  win  the  vic- 
tory, not  to  satisfy  his  own  malice.  The  fall  of  Kennedy, 
whose  words  and  example  had  been  the  life  of  the  con- 
flict on  the  rebel  side,  discouraged  his  followers;  and 
having  fought  desperately  for  a  few  moments,  they  gave 
way  all  at  once,  retreating  to  the  stern  of  the  steamer. 
They  w^ere  closely  pressed  by  the  enthusiastic  tars  ;  but 
they  cried  for  quarter,  and  surrendered  at  call. 

The  victory  was  w^on,  and  loud  cheers  rent  the  air. 
The  disordered  masses  of  cotton  bales  were  covered  with 
dead  and  w^ounded,  most  of  w^hom  had  been  the  victims 
of  the  explosion.  The  fire  had  begun  to  gather  headway 
again,  since  the  rebels  had  ceased  to  combat  it,  and  the 
Rosalie  was  in  danger  of  perishing  with  her  shattered 
prize  in  the  devouring  element  which  knows  no  friends 
nor  foes. 

Mr.  Jackson,  panting  from  the  violence  of  his  exer- 
tions, ordered  the  men  to  roll  the  burning  bales  over- 
board. The  rebels  were  required  to  aid  in  this  necessary 
toil ;  and  the  officers,  with  cutlass  in  hand,  compelled 
the  able  ones  to  work.  The  buckets  were  manned,  and 
in  less  than  an  hour  the  flames  were  subdued,  though 
the  task  was  not  accomplished  without  the  severest  labor 
on  the  part  of  friends  and  enemies. 

When  this  pressing  work  was  accomplished,  attention 
was  bestowed  upon  the  rebel  wounded.     The  portion  of 


312  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

the  steamer's  cabin  abaft  the  paddle-boxes  was  still  in 
condition  to  be  occupied,  and  the  sufferers  were  borne  to 
the  state-rooms,  or  laid  upon  beds  on  the  cabin  floor. 
Tliere  were  about  thirty  of  them,  most  of  whom  had 
been  injured  by  the  falling  cotton  bales,  or  the  flying 
missiles  of  the  explosion.  Not  less  than  twenty  dead 
men  lay  on  the  main  deck ;  and  the  sight  on  board  was 
sickening,  even  to  those  who  had  been  accustomed  to 
the  carnage  and  ruin  of  hard-fought  battles. 

Somers  was  as  active  in  his  care  for  the  wounded  and 
suffering  as  he  had  been  in  the  excitement  of  the  battle. 
Among  the  first  he  saw,  in  his  humane  labors,  was  Ken- 
nedy. He  bent  over  him  to  ascertain  if  his  wound  had 
been  fatal ;  and  he  found  that  he  was  still  alive.  He 
was  borne  to  the  saloon  above,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
who  received  the  attentions  of  the  Rosalie's  surgeon. 

After  all  had  been  cared  for,  Somers  went  again  to  the 
cot  of  his  enemy.  The  surgeon  had  done  what  he  could, 
but  the  patient  was  now  suffering  severely  from  the  pain 
of  his  wound. 

"  Water  !  Water  !  "  said  he,  with  a  heavy  groan,  as 
Somers  entered  the  state-room. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  Mr.  Kennedy?"  askedr  the  visitor. 

"  Somers ! "  exclaimed  he,  "  have  you  come  to  revel 
in  my  misery  ?  "  ' 

"  No  ;  far  from  it,"  replied  the  young  officer,  shocked 
at  the  very  thought. 


*  THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.         313 

"  You  have  finished  me,  Somers,  and  you  ought  to  be 
satisfied." 

"  I  did  not  seek  you  in  the  fight ;  and  I  am  sorry  that 
my  duty  compelled  me  to  strike  as  I  did." 

"  You  have  killed  me  !  Tell  Kate  Portington  you 
have  killed  me,"  gasped  the  sufferer. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  you  may  recover." 

"  Will  you  do  me  a  favor,  Somers?"  added  Kennedy, 
more  gently. 

*'  With  pleasure." 

"  Then  give  me  a  glass  of  water.     I  am  burning  up." 

Somers  brought  a  tin  cup  full  of  water  to  him,  and  he 
drained  it  at  a  draught.  Another  was  brought,  of  which 
he  drank  a  part.  The  surgeon  of  the  Rosalie  now  en- 
tered the  room,  for  a  moment,  to  learn  the  condition  of 
the  most  important  personage  among  the  rebels. 

"  "SMiat  do  you  think  of  him  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  Speak  out  plainly,  doctor,"  added  Kennedy,  as  the 
surgeon  proceeded  to  examine  him  again. 

"  He  cannot  recover,"  he  replied. 

"  Do  you  think  so?"  cried  the  wounded  man. 

"  It  is  a  plain  case,  sir,"  said  the  doctor,  shaking  his 
head.  "  He  may  live  till  morning  ;  but  I  don't  think  he 
will,"  he  added,  turning  to  Somers. 

"  Then  it  is  all  up  with  me,"  groaned  the  sufferer,  as 
the  surgeon   hastened   away  to  attend   to  the  pressing 
duties  of  the  hour. 
27 


314  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

"  The  doctor  says  there  is  no  hope  for  you,"  replied 
Somers. 

For  a  moment  he  lay  breathing  heavily,  and  appar- 
ently musing  upon  the  solemn  truth  which  had  just  been 
spoken  of  him.  He  was  about  to  pass  away  from  the 
world  in  which  he  had  sinned,  and  be  ushered  into 
another,  "  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and 
the  weary  are  at  rest."  It  was  an  awful  thought  to  him, 
for  the  memories  of  the  past  were  not  pleasant  in  his 
dying  hour. 

"  I  canH  die,  Somers ! "  exclaimed  he,  suddenly,  as 
the  full  force  of  the  thought  impressed  itself  upon  him. 

"  I  fear  you  must,  Mr.  Kennedy  ;  and  I  hope  you  will 
prepare  yourself  for  the  trying  hour  while  you  have  the 
time.     I  must  go  now,  and  —  " 

*'  Don't  leave  me  alone,  Somers  !  "  moaned  Kennedy. 
*'  You  will  forgive  me  the  w^rong  I  have  done  you?" 

"  Freely !  Here  is  my  hand,"  said  Somers,  taking 
that  of  his  late  enemy. 

"  Thank  you  ;  now  don't  leave  me." 

"  I  must  report  to  the  executive  officer  on  board  the 
ship  ;  but  I  will  return  in  a  few  moments." 

*'  Do,  if  you  can." 

Our  hero  was  almost  disgusted  by  the  praise  bestowed 
upon  him  by  the  captain  and  Mr.  Jackson,  for  he  had 
just  come  from  the  couch  of  the  dying  man.  By  his 
heroism  he  had  saved  the  Rosalie ;  but  with  Kennedy's 


THE   ADVENTURES   OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        31 J 

rrlazino-  eve  still  before  his  vision,  lie  felt  how  vain  was 
all  human  glory.  He  readily  obtained  permission  to 
return  to  the  bedside  of  the  dying  rebel,  and  hastened 
down  into  the  steerage  for  the  Testament  which  his 
mother  had  given  him,  and  which  had  not  been  an 
unused  companion  in  his  leisure  hours. 

He  found  Kennedy  was  sinking  ftist,  on  his  return, 
and,  with  the  patient's  ready  permission,  he  read  to  him 
a  chapter  from  his  Testament. 

"  That's  all  very  well,  Somers  ;  but  if  you  forgive  me, 
I  feel  that  God  will,"  said  the  suiferer. 

"  I  forgive  you  ;  and  from  my  heart  I  pray  that  God  will 
forgive  you  —  as  I  know  he  will  if  you  are  truly  sorry." 
"  I  am  satisfied,  Somers." 

But  it  was  plain  that  he  was  not  satisfied  ;  that  he  did 
not  possess  that  inward  peace  which  alone  can  smooth  a 
dying  pillow. 

"  I  have  wTonged  you,  Somers,  more  than  any  other 
man,"  he  added,  after  Somers  had  given  him  another 
drink.  "When  I  heard  that  your  ship  was  ordered 
here,  I  asked  to  be  appointed  here,  that  I  might  be  re- 
venged upon  you.'* 

"  Never  mind  me,  Mr.  Kennedy ;  you  have  wronged 
your  country  more  than  you  have  wr#iged  me." 

"  I  have  done  what  I  thought  was  right,  and  I  am 
not  sorry  for  it,  except  so  far  as  you  are  concerned.  If 
you  see  Kate,  tell  her  you  forgave  me." 


316  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

"  I  will." 

A  kind  of  spasm  impaired  the  dying  man's  utterance, 
and  Somers,  though  he  felt  his  own  weakness  in  the 
midst  of  such  a  scene,  read  another  chapter,  and  tried  to 
raise  the  sufferer's  thoughts  to  higher  things  than  those 
of  earth.  He  felt  that  he  had  succeeded  to  some  extent. 
Kennedy  could  not  speak  now.  Somers  bent  over  him, 
and  uttered  a  short  prayer ;  but  the  patient  did  not  speak 
nor  move  when  he  had  finished. 

He  was  dead. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.       317 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 


SOMERS   IN    COiniAND. 


OMERS  closed  the  eyes  of  the  only  enemy  he 
had  in  the  world,  and  returned  to  the  Rosalie  to 
report  the  event.  For  the  first  time  since  the 
battle,  he  had  an  opportunity  to  ascertain  the  extent  of 
the  loss  which  his  ship  had  sustained.  Poor  Mr.  Layard, 
as  noble  and  brave  an  officer  as  ever  walked  a  deck,  lay 
dead  in  his  state-room.  Mr.  Brown,  the  sailing-master, 
was  severely  wounded  in  the  hip.  Five  of  the  crew,  in- 
cluding the  acting  glmner,  who  had  fired  the  train  that 
shattered  the  steamer,  were  dead,  and  twelve  were  dis- 
abled by  wounds,  in  addition  to  as  many  more  still  able 
to  attend  to  duty. 

It  had  been  a  hard-fought  series  of  actions,  and  nothing 
but  the  indomitable  gallantry  of  the  crew  had  saved  the 
Rosalie  from  being  captured.  The  plan  which  had  been 
devised  and  executed  by  Somers  was  #ie  immediate  sal- 
vation of  the  vessel ;  but  if  the  officers  had  been  less 
devoted,  and  the  crew  less  determined,  the  schooner 
would  have  been  taken  early  in  the  evening.  Somers 
27* 


318  THE    YANKEE    MIDDY,    OR 

realized  now  what  a  desperate  battle  had  been  fought 
against  greatly  superior  numbers. 

Though  victory  had  crowned  the  terrible  work  of  the 
night,  there  was  nothing  but  sadness  about  the  vessel. 
Not  an  officer  nor  a  man  was  seen  to  smile,  now  that  the 
excitement  of  the  battle  was  over,  and  the  fearful  re- 
sults even  of  victory  had  been  summed  up.  The  death 
of  that  one  brave  man,  who  lay  dead  in  the  ward-room, 
would  have  cast  a  deep  gloom  through  the  ship  ;  but  the 
poor  gunner,  who  had  risked  his  life  without  a  murmur  to 
save  the  ship,  had  fallen,  and  there  were  four  other  cold 
forms  shrouded  in  the  banner  for  which  they  had  fought 
and  died. 

In  the  ward-room  lay  the  sailing-master,  suffering  un- 
told agonies  from  his  painful  wound,  and  the  sick-bay 
was^ crowded  with  gallant  fellows,  who  scorned  to  utter  a 
groa^  or  a  murmur  in  the  midst  of  their  sufferings. 
Truly  the  consequences  of  victory  are  hardly  less  terri- 
ble than  those  of  defeat. 

There  was  no  sleep  in  the  Rosalie  that  night,  for  there 
were  hardly  men  enough  left  to  keep  watch  on  deck,  and 
guard  the  horde  of  rebel  prisoners  on  board  the  shattered 
steamer.  When  Somers  had  his  watch  below,  he  de- 
voted himself  to  #ie  care  of  Mr.  Brown,  as  other  officers 
and  men  had  done  by  their  wounded  shipmates. 

The  Rosalie  had  been  hauled  off  from  her  dangerous 
proximity  to  the  Chimney  Spit.     Gloom  and  sadness  per- 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        819 

vaded  every  part  of  her ;  but  the  duty  which  she  had 
been  sent  to  perform  was  not  neglected.  While  the  dead 
slept  on,  and  tlie  wounded  stifled  their  sighs  of  pain,  the 
lookouts  on  deck  still  gazed  fixedly  into  the  gloom  of 
the  night,  serving  the  cause  of  freedom  and  humanity  as 
truly  as  the  admirals  who  led  the  fleets,  and  the  generals 
who  marshalled  the  armies  of  the  Union. 

"  Sail  ho  !  "  shouted  the  lookout  on  the  bowsprit ;  but 
the  tone  was  less  buoyant  and  joyful  than  usual,  for  the 
speaker  had  a  heart  which  was  with  the  dead  and  the 
dying  below. 

"  Clear  away  the  midship  gun,"  said  the  officer  of  the 
deck,  wdien  he  had  made  out  the  approaching  sail,  which 
was  a  brig  coming  down  the  sound. 

The  captain  presently  appeared,  and  a  shot  was  dropped 
across  the  forefoot  of  the  blockade-runner  —  for  such  she 
was  w^ithout  a  doubt.  Mr.  Somers  was  ordered  out  in 
the  second  cutter  to  board  the  vessel,  which  was  beating 
out  with  a  fresh  breeze.  It  was  quite  evident  that  those 
in  charge  of  the  vessel  did  not  expect  to  find  any  obstacle 
to  her  passage  out  of  the  sound,  for  they  would  not  have 
attempted  to  run  by  the  Rosalie  with  a  head  Avind.  Phil 
Kennedy  had  probably  been  so  certain  of  capturing  the 
Rosalie,  that  he  had  ordered  this  brig  to  sail  at  high  tide. 

Somers  directed  his  cockswain  to  lay  on  his  oars,  Avhen 
the  cutter  had  pulled  a  few  strokes  from  the  ship.  lie 
sat  in  the  stern,  coolly  contemplating  the  movements  of 


820  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

the  brig,  and  appeared  to  be  fully  master  of  the  situa- 
tion. The  blockade-runner  was  now  approaching  the 
spit,  and  must  tack  in  a  moment. 

"  Give  way,"  said  Somers,  when  he  had  carefully 
timed  the  movements  of  the  brig. 

The  men,  hardly  excited,  under  the  trying  circumstances 
of  the  hour,  by  the  prospect  of  a  prize,  gave  way  with 
the  vigor  of  discipline,  rather  than  of  enthusiasm,  and 
the  boat  came  up  with  the  vessel  just  as  she  went  in 
stays.  The  bowman  seized  her  bob-stay,  and  Somers, 
who  had  gone  forward  into  the  fore-sheets,  sprang  into 
her  head  rigging,  and  made  his  way  to  the  deck.  He 
was  closely  followed  by  a  dozen  of  his  brave  tars. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  demanded  the  captain  of  the  brig, 
with  an  oath. 

"  Your  vessel  is  a  prize  to  the  United  States  schooner 
Kosalie,  Captain  Waldron.  Stand  by  her  fore-braces ! 
Mainsail,  haul !  "  shouted  Somers,  finding  the  crew  had 
not  completed  the  operation  of  tacking,  and  that  the  brig 
was  in  danger  of  misstaying. 

The  ready  seamen  sprang  to  their  stations  as  though 
they  had  shipped  in  the  brig,  which,  having  a  good  full, 
came  round  handsomely,  and  stood  off  on  the  other  tack. 
The  captain  was  very  much  surprised  to  find  his  vessel 
captured,  for  he  had  been  assured  that,  in  a  few  hours, 
there  would  be  no  man-of-war  in  the  sound  to  dispute  his 
passage.     Aller  one  more  tack  the  brig  came  to  anchor 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        321 

a  short  distance  from  tlic  Rosalie,  and  Somers  went  on 
board  to  report  the  success  of  his  undertaking. 

Captain  Waldron  was  entirely  satisfied  with  the  man- 
ner in  which  Somers  had  discharged  his  duty  ;  and  he 
was  sent  back  with  orders  to  remain  in  charge  of  her  as 
prize-master.  The  boatswain  of  the  Rosalie,  and  four 
seamen,  w^ere  detailed  as  his  command  ;  but  the  crew  of 
the  brig  were  all  foreigners,  and  as  willing  to  serve  under 
one  flag  as  another.  They  volunteered  for  duty,  and  a 
majority  of  them  expressed  a  desire  to  ship  in  the  navy. 

Somers,  burdened  by  the  responsibility  of  his  first 
command,  did  not  dare  to  sleep  ;  and  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  brig, 
talking  over  the  affairs  of  the  past  and  present  with  his 
faithful  friend,  Tom  Longstone.  When  the  morning 
came,  the  men,  fatigued  and  saddened  by  the  events  of 
the  night,  were  called  upon  to  perform  the  heavy  labor  of 
moving  the  cotton-clad  to  a  more  secure  position.  She 
still  floated,  though  her  port  paddle-box  and  guard,  and 
all  her  upper  works  forward  of  the  wheels,  had  been 
shattered  to  pieces.  She  was  towed  up  under  the  shelter 
of  a  point  of  land,  and  the  Rosalie  anchored  near  her. 

All  the  prisoners  were  put  under  guard  on  board  of 
her,  including  the  officers  of  the  captured  brig.  Nothing 
could  be  done  with  them  at  present,  for  it  was  necessary 
to  keep  the  well  ones  to  nurse  the  wounded.  In  the 
course  of  the    forenoon,  Somers  was   electrified  at  the 


322  THE    YAXKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

receipt  of  an  order,  addressed  to  him,  as  acting  third 
lieutenant  of  the  Rosalie,  to  proceed  to  Port  Royal  in 
command  of  the  brig.  Mr.  Walker  and  Tom  Longstone 
were  detailed  as  his  first  and  second  officers,  and  he  was 
to  be  the  bearer  of  the  despatches  to  the  admiral.  The 
remains  of  the  first  lieutenant  were  conveyed  on  board, 
to  be  sent  to  his  friends  at  the  North. 

Almost  overwhelmed  by  the  responsibility  laid  upon 
him,  and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him,  Somers  made 
sail,  and  proceeded  on  his  voyage.  The  record  of  his 
cruise  would  be  only  a  narrative  of  sleepless  nights,  with- 
out any  incident  worthy  a  place  in  these  pages.  The 
young  commander  could  not  make  the  cares  of  his  new 
situation  rest  easily  upon  him.  But  the  pleasant  weather 
and  the  favor  of  divine  Providence  enabled  him  to 
reach  his  destined  port  in  safety. 

Blushing  and  stammering,  he  reported  to  the  admiral, 
who  happened  to  be  there,  and  delivered  his  despatches. 
The  papers  told  the  story,  and  he  was  thrown  into  a  ter- 
rible state  of  confusion  by  the  admiral  seizing  his  hand, 
and  thanking  him  for  the  valuable  service  he  had  ren- 
dered. 

'^I  have  heard  of  you  before;,  Mr.  Somers,  and  you 
have  been  true  to  your  record.  You  shall  go  to  Boston 
in  command  of  the  brig  you  have  captured." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  stammered  Somers,  unable  to  say 
another  word. 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER,         323 

Before  the  brig  departed,  a  steamer  was  sent  down 
with  a  reenforcement  for  the  crew  of  the  Rosalie,  and  at 
sundown,  the  Harwich,  which  was  the  name  of  Somers's 
vessel,  was  out  of  siglit  of  land.  Our  middy  soon  be- 
came accustomed  to  his  responsible  position,  and  was 
able  to  sleep  nights.  The  brig  ran  through  a  gale  of 
eighteen  hours'  duration,  but,  being  weU  handled,  she 
reached  Boston  in  safety. 


324  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,   OB 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


MISS    KATE    PORTINGTON. 


C 


'HE  Harwich  came  to  anchor  off  the  navy  yard 
at  Cha^lesto^^^l,  and  her  young  commander  went 
on  shore  to  deliver  his  despatches  from  the  admi- 
ral. The  necessary  legal  proceedings  were  immediately 
commenced,  and  Somers  was  required  to  remain,  as  s^ 
witness  until  the  prize  had  been  condemned.  At  the 
earliest  moment  his  duties  would  permit,  he  ran  down  to 
Pinchbrook,  where,  of  course,  he  was  warmly  welcomed. 
It  required  an  afternoon  and  evening  for  him  to  tell  his 
adventures ;  and  no  soldier  or  sailor  from  the  stirring 
scenes  of  the  South  ever  had  a  more  attentive  audience. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  legal  business  he  was  ordered 
to  New  York,  there  to  take  passage  for  the  South,  where 
he  was  to  join  his  ship,  together  with  the  officers  and 
sailors  who  had  accompanied  him.  Having  found  that 
the  vessel  in  which  he  was  to  return  would  not  sail  for 
several  days,  he  obtained  permission  to  spend  a  day  in 
Newport.  Mr.  Revere,  the  commandant  of  midship- 
men, received  him  like  a  brother,  and  the  officers  and 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL     OFFICER.        325 

members  of  the  Academy  gave  him  a  very  pleasant 
"welcome. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Somers,  I  suppose  you  will  not  forget  to 
go  over  to  Commodore  Portington's  —  will  you  ?  "  asked 
the  commandant,  with  a  significant  smile,  when  our 
middy  had  answered  all  the  questions  about  the  service 
which  had  been  proposed. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  Somers,  whose  telltale  face 
betrayed  the  fact  that  he  had  been  thinking  of  such  a 
thing. 

'"  You  don't  know !  *'  exclaimed  Mr.  Revere  ;  "  yes, 
you  do  know." 

'•  I  suppose  I  shall  call  there." 

"  You  more  than  suppose  it,  Mr.  Somers.  If  I  thought 
you  had  any  doubt  about  going  there,  I  would  put  you 
under  arrest,  and  send  you  under  guard  of  a  file  of 
marines." 

"  I  will  go,  sir,"  laughed  Somers. 

And  he  did  go.  Though  he  was  not  willing  to  confess 
it,  even  to  himself,  the  anticipated  pleasure  of  that  visit 
had  been  considerably  more  than  half  the  inducement  for 
him  to  visit  Newport.  Kate  was  not  in  the  room  when 
he  entered,  and  he  received  a  very  motlicrly  greeting 
from  Mrs.  Portington.  But  presently  the  daughter's 
step  was  heard  in  the  adjoining  apartment,  and  poor 
Somers's  heart  fluttered  worse  than  it  did  when  he  had 
been  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Harwich.  It  was 
2iJ 


826  THE    YANKEE  MIDDY,    OR 

ten  times  worse  than  repelling  boarders  to  meet  her  face 
to  face,  after  so  long  an  absence. 

Somers  felt  very  much  like  going  by  the  board,  as  the 
rustle  of  the  silk  dress  fell  upon  his  ears ;  but  Kate 
entered  the  room,  and  rushed  forward,  with  both  hands 
extended,  to  welcome  him.  Her  cheeks  were  suffused 
wuth  blushes,  and  it  was  quite  evident  that  she  was  not 
taking  the  matter  so  coolly  as  her  manner  and  her  subse- 
quent remarks  might  have  led  one  to  suppose. 

"  Why,  Prodigy,  is  it  possible  that  you  have  re- 
turned?" exclaimed  she,  as  he  took  her  extended  hands. 

"  For  a  brief  period  only,"  said  Somers,  hardly  able 
to  articulate  the  words. 

"  Why  couldn't  you  say  for  '  a  short  time,'  instead  of 
'  a  brief  period,'  Mr.  Somers?" 

*'  Now,  Kate,  you  shall  not  begin  to  make  fun  of  Mr. 
Somers,"  interposed  Mrs.  Portington. 

"  If  I  had  known  your  pleasure,  I  sh,ould  certainly 
have  said  so,"  added  Somers. 

"  My  pleasure  !  Why  can't  you  talk  like  a  Christian, 
and  not  use  that  stilted  language  ?  You  are  not  an  admi- 
ral yet.  Now,  sit  down,  and  tell  me  where  you  have 
been,  and  what  wonders  you  have  done." 

"  I  haven't  done  any  wonders,  Miss  Portington." 

"  Yes,  you  have.  I  read  all  about  it  in  one  of  the  Bos- 
ton papers." 

"  Then  there  is  no  need  that  I  should  tell  you." 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        327 

"  But  I  waut  to  hear  it  from  you." 

"  I  will  give  you  uu  abstract  of  the  log  book  of 
Rosalie." 

"  Fiddlesticks  !  I  don't  care  for  the  log  book  of  the 
Rosalie.  I  suppose  you  want  to  tell  me  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  Doboy  Sound.  But  what  awful  stories  are 
told  about  poor  Phil  Kennedy  ! "  added  slie,  suddenly 
looking  as  grave  as  a  matron  of  sixty.  "  Are  they 
true  ?  " 

*' I  am  sorry  to  say  they  are.  Of  course  you  have 
heard   of  his  death?" 

They  had  not  heard  of  it ;  and  Somers  narrated  the 
events  which  had  terminated  in  the  death  of  the  mis- 
guided young  man,  including  the  last  scene  which  had 
transpired  on  board  of  the  cotton-clad.  Mrs.  Portington 
and  her  daughter  were  both  much  moved  as  he  described 
the  sad  event ;  but  both  of  them  condemned,  in  fitting 
terms,  his  treason  and  his  treachery. 

Somers  spent  the  afternoon,  and  took  tea  with  the 
family.  Kate's  cheerfulness  was  not  mucli  impaired  by 
the  intelligence  of  Kennedy's  death,  after  the  first  shock 
had  passed  away.  Neither  she  nor  her  mother  was 
disposed  to  say  much  about  him.  Perhaps  they  felt  that 
be  had  disgraced  the  family  by  his  connection  with  it, 
and  that  silence  was  the  only  proper  commentary  on  his 
conduct.  Somers  had  learned  that  General  Portington 
had  destroyed  the  will  in  which  Kennedy  had  been  joint 


328  THE    YAXKKE    MIDDY,    OR 

heir  -with  Kate  of  his  property,  and  tliat  the  commodore, 
as  the  next  of  kin,  would  succeed  to  his  fortune.  Deli- 
cacy, therefore,  as  well  as  policy,  required  them  to  speak 
lightly,  or  not  at  all,  of  Phil's  infirmities. 

"■Now  you  are  going  off  to  do  new  wonders  —  are 
you?"  said  Kate,  after  tea. 

"  I  am  going  to  do  my  duty ;  though  for  your  sake  I 
could  almost  hope  that  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  hut  my 
daily  routine  for  a  year,"  replied  Somers. 

"  For  my  sake  !  I  hope  you  will  capture  every  block- 
ade-runner at  the  South.  AVhy,  you  are  a  prodigy,  Mr. 
Somers  ;  and  I  believe,  if  they  would  turn  you  loose 
on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  in  a  jolly-boat,  wuth  nothing  but  a 
broken  ramrod,  you  would  capture  the  Alabama  within 
twenty-four  hours." 

^'  I  protest,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  Well,  call  it  forty-eight,  then,"  added  the  merry 
girl. 

"  "Wouldn't  you  oblige  me  by  making  it  a  week?  " 

"  No,  not  another  hour.  Two  days  are  enough  for  you 
to  sink  or  blow  up  the  biggest  ship  that  ever  floated." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  what  I  might  do,  under  the  in- 
spiration of  bright  eyes  at  home,"  said  Somers,  looking 
archly  into  her  beaming  orbs. 

"  What  bright  eyes?  "  asked  she,  with  the  least  possible 
agitation. 

"  Yours,  to  be  sure,"  laughed  the  little  naval  hero. 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF  A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        329 

*^  That's  silly,  Mr.  Somers.  Do  you  mean  to  say  that 
you  ever  think  of  any  one  besides  yourself,  while  you  aro 
away  ?  " 

""  To  be  sure  I  do  ;  I  don't  believe  there  is  a  single 
hour  of  my  watch  on  deck  in  which  I  don't  think  of  my 
mother  and  you." 

"  Well,  I  declare,  Prodigy,  you  are  improving  won- 
derfully. Wouldn't  you  like  to  have  me  fall  overboard, 
or  do  some  other  ridiculous  thing,  to  afford  you  another 
opportunity  to  save  me  from  a  watery  grave  ?  " 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  angry  with  me  for  thinking  of 
you  when  I  am  away.  You  have  amused  me  so  much 
that  I  cannot  help  thinking  of  you.'* 

"  Pray,  Mr.  Somers,  is  that  the  particular  reason  why 
you  think  of  your  mother  when  you  are  on  duty  ?  *' 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  Then  I  will  thank  you  not  to  think  of  me  as  the 
sport  of  your  idle  hours." 

"  How  may  I  think  of  you,  then  ?  " 

"As  an  esteemed  and  valued  friend,  who  is  always 
ready  to  give  you  good  advice,  and  keep  your  vanity 
from  eating  you  up." 

»  "  Then  I  will  think  of  you  as  such.  I  suppose  you 
forgot,  during  my  absence.  Miss  Portington,  that  such  a 
person  as  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  was  in  existence." 

"  You  are  not  here  to  catechise  me,  Mr.  Somers.    You 
are  a  prodigy ;   but  there  are  some  things  you  cannot 
28* 


330  THE    YANKEE   MIDDY,    OR 

do,"  replied  Kate ;  but  she  answered  the  question  much 
more  satisfactorily  in  her  looks  and  manner. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  he,  rising  to  go  ;  "I  must  leave 
now." 

"  Tear  yourself  away,  you  ought  to  have  said,  to  be 
entirely  consistent  with  your  record.  But  go  ;  and  re- 
member that  your  esteemed  and  valued  acquaintance  in 
Newport  will  look  with  friendly  interest  for  intelligence 
from  you  —  in  other  words,  write  to  me." 

"  I  will,  with  pleasure  ;  but  what  may  I  hope  for  in 
return  ?  " 

"  For  an  answer,  of  course." 

"  With  a  letter  from  you  in  my  pocket,  I  could  capture 
the  whole  Confederate  navy." 

"  You  shall  have  it,  then,"  said  she,  with  some  con- 
fusion. 

"  Good  by,"  he  added,  taking  her  hand. 

"  You  mentioned  me,  just  now,  in  the  same  breath 
with  your  mother,  IVIr.  Somers.  "WTiat  did  you  say  to 
her  when  you  parted  with  her  ?  " 

"  That  I  would  try  to  be  true  to  God  and  my  coun- 
try," replied  he,  earnestly. 

*''  Those  were  good  words  to  leave  behind  you." 

"  Then  I  will  leave  them  with  you  ;  I  will  try  to  be 
true  to  God  and  my  country." 

"  I  know  you  will  be,"  replied  Kate,  seriously. 

*'  And  then  —  and  then  —  " 


THE   ADVENTURES    OF    A    NAVAL    OFFICER.        331 

"  What  then  ?  "  asked  Kate. 

"  I  kissed  my  mother,"  he  replied,  as,  with  one  of 
those  tremendous  mental  efforts  which  had  braced  his 
nerves  in  the  hour  of  battle,  the  audacious  wretch  actu- 
ally kissed  Miss  Kate  Portington  ! 

Kate  was  astonished,  but  not  half  so  much  astonished 
as  Somers  himself,  when  he  realized  what  he  had  done. 
Again  he  braced  himself  to  receive  the  rebuke  which  he 
was  conscious  of  deserving ;  but  it  did  not  come.  She 
only  blushed  and  smiled,  thus  assuring  him  that  he  had 
not  committed  an  unpardonable  sin  ;  and  the  memory  of 
that  happy  moment  lingered  with  him  for  months  and 
years.  He  pressed  her  hand,  both  said  good  by,  and  he 
was  gone. 

"  I  wish  she  was  my  sister !  "  thought  Somers,  as  he 
walked  down  the  street* 

Perhaps  he  did.  If  he  did,  it  was  only  because  he 
did  not  know  any  better. 

In  the  evening  he  took  the  steamer  for  New  York, 
where  he  embarked  for  the  South,  and  in  due  time  re- 
ported on  board  of  the  Rosalie  again.  His  welcome  was 
scarcely  less  enthusiastic  than  that  which  had  greeted 
him  at  home.  The  vacancies  had  been  filled,  and  ao"ain 
he  was  nothing  but  a  Yankee  middy. 

The  capture  of  two  sailing  vessels  and  the  destruction 
of  two  steamers  gave  the  rebels  a  sharp  warning,  and 
nearly  spoiled  the  occupation  of  the  Rosalie ;  for  thouo-h 


332     .  THE    YANKEE   MIDDT. 

she  remained  on  the  station  till  the  following  ppring, 
she  captured  but  one  schooner.  It  was  a  dry  time  ;  but 
Somers  employed  all  his  leisure  hours,  as  he  had  done 
before,  in  pressing  forward  his  studies.  In  June  he  was 
examined,  having  the  highest  recommendations  which 
his  officers  could  give,  and  came  off  with  flying  colors. 
He  was  immediately  promoted  to  the  rank  of  ensign  ; 
and  though  Mr.  Somers  served  with  distinguished  fidelity 
and  success  under  that  "brave  old  salt"  who  com- 
manded the  West  Gulf  Squadron,  here  properly  ends  his 
career  as  the  Yankee  Middy. 


RIYERDALE    STORY    BOCKS 

BY     OLIVER     OFTIC. 

^  12  vols.,  in  neat  box. 

I. 

THE    LITTLE    Iw^ER,CII-A.lSrT. 

IT. 

THE  "^e'oxjisra-  "vo^s^-a.o-ers* 
III. 

THE    CH:R,ISTX*I-A.S    C3-IFT. 

IV. 
IDOLL-^    -A.lSriD    I. 

V. 
XTITCLE    BEISr. 

VI. 
BIRTH-ID-A.-^    I>-A.IlT'5r- 

VII. 
3?ROXJX>    -A-lsriD    Ij-A.Z^Sr- 

VTII. 
CA-RELESS    K:A.TE- 

IX. 

i^OBiisrsoisr  cr,xjsoe,  Jii- 

X. 
THE    FlCmC    I»-A.IiT"X-- 

XI. 

th:e  C3-OLI3  th:i:m:ble. 

XII. 
THE    IDO-S03i^ETHI3SrC3-S- 


UEE    «to    STT-Fl-PA-RT-),    .    .    .    I>viblisliers. 


THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES. 

IX    SIX    VOLUMES. 

^  ^ibrara   i^v  fowng  nuA  ©hi 

BY    OLIVER     OPTIC. 


THE    S01L.T>TEX1    T30Y ; 

Or,    ToiTL    Soixiers    in    th.e    .A.riny. 

IT. 

THE    (SA.IE011    HOY; 

Or,    Jack    Soiners    in    the    Navy. 

III. 
th:e:    YOUIVO    I^TEXJTEIVJlTVT  ; 

Or,    Xlie    -A^dventiares    ot"   an    J^rmy    Offioer. 

A  SEQUEL,  'J^O  "THE  SOLDIER  BOY." 

IV. 

THE    Y^iVItEE    3XIDOY; 

Or,    Tlie    ^^dventure.s    of   a    HSTaval    Officer. 
A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE  SAILOR  BOY." 

V. 

FIOH^TINO    JOE; 

Or,    The    Fortunes    of  a    Staff- Officer. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE  YOUNG  LIEUTENANT." 

VI. 
DSTtA^YE    OLr>    S^T^T  ; 

Or,    Life    on    the    Qiaart er-Deck:. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE  YANKEE  MIDDY." 

(Li  Preparation.) 


■v;rooiD"v^ix.ijE  stories. 

BY    OLI^^ER     OFTIC. 

I. 
MCII    AJNJy    IIX7>1JB3L.E ; 

Or,  The   Mlission.  of  Bertlia  Grrant. 

IL 
Or,  The    Conq^u.est   of  Richard  GJ-rant. 

ni. 

Or,  the  YovLns  SMgitives. 


IV. 


V. 
HOPE    ^^JVI>    HA^VE. 

(In  prepanrtioii.) 

VI. 
I3LA.8TE    j^JNTO    T\^ASTE. 

(In  prep«r»tion.) 


T.-rj-f;    &    SIIE:i>.A.Rr),    PubUshors. 


LIBRARY    FOR    YOUNG    PEOPLE. 

BY    OLIVER    OPTIC. 
I. 

THE   BOAT   CLUB; 

OB,  THE  BUNKERS  OF  EIPPLETON. 
II. 

ALL  ABOAED; 

OK,   liIPE    ON    THE    LAKE. 

m. 
LITTLE  BY  LITTLE; 

OB,  THE  CBDTSE  OP  THE  FLYA'WAY. 
IV. 

TRY  AGAIN; 

OB,  THE   TBTAT.S  AND  TBIUMPHS  OF  HABBY  WEST. 

V. 

NOW   OE  NEYEE; 

OB,    THE    ADVENTTJBES    OF    BOBBY    BBIQHT. 
VI. 

POOE  AND  PEOUD; 

OB,  THE  FOBTUNES  OF  KATY  BEDBUBN. 
Six  volumes,  put  up  in  a  neat  box. 


UEK    *Sc    SI3:KI>.AJRr),    PiabHsliers. 


RARK  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


Wilmer 
28 


